Don't Let Go
by starrynight265
Summary: Complete! Jack has the Pearl back, everyone's happy...right? Ana's past has come back with a vengance and Jack (with some unlikely allies) must help her fight it, or die trying...dun dun dun! (JackAna) RR please!
1. Bring Me That Horizon

AN: hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction (jack/ana all the way and a little w/e) so please no flames. But reviews and constructive criticism is appreciated. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I own nadda. I promise I'll return them when I'm done playing!  
  
"Now," Anamaria heard Jack Sparrow mutter in one of those rare serious moments that she had ever heard him use, "Bring me that horizon." Ana grinned, swinging out on the lines to feel the ocean breeze whip through her hair. The crew and herself had gone only halfway to Tortuga before realizing The Pearl was nothing without Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
As much as that man infuriated her and made her tear her own hair out, Ana's heart was immensely relieved when he came aboard safe to stay. That was a feeling she couldn't shrug and frankly, it scared her, as ferocious a pirate that she was.  
  
Jack Sparrow ran his hands lovingly over his boat.er, ship. Humming his newly designated, "Pirate Song," he surveyed the crew scattered about the deck. There was Gibbs, celebrating with his rum, and Mr. Cotton and his parrot and-He frowned, something stirring in his chest.  
  
Where as Anamaria? He stood on his toes and craned his neck, swaying dangerously back and forth. His dark eyes smudged with kohl swept the deck. Finally he spotted her. His brow furrowed when he realized his mind was now at ease.  
  
Still struggling to keep his balance, he watched her dark raven hair danse in the wind and her pirate's shift whip around her body. "There ye are, love." he muttered. It was a nice body, too. Jack realized what he was doing, freezing suddenlyl and squeezing his eyes shut, banging his head on the wheel several times for dramatic emphasis.  
  
Ana shook herself out of her thoughts, stepping down onto the ship's deck. She spotted the captain's head bowed over the steering wheel. About ten feet away form him, she scowled and opened her mouth to snap at him something to the effect of "Are ye a captain or not?"  
  
--And stopped. Her heart warmed and she shook her head fiercely, trying to stop acting like a bloody woman. "Jack, ye must be tired." She said finally, "I can do that."  
  
She watched him jump a foot in the air and a foot away from her as his dark eyes widened and looked confused. She watched further as he shook it off. "Captain Jack, love, Captain."  
  
She ignored that. "I can do that."  
  
"Aye," he squinted at her. "Ye can. But me an' me ship need a little reacquainting, savvy love?"  
  
"Aye, she agreed, but hesitated and did not leave just yet. "Where we be sailing to now?"  
  
He looked at her warily for a moment, then smiled, showing his several gold teeth. "Isle de Moyetta."  
  
"Are ye mad?" she asked harshly. She grasped his arm and met his gaze fiercely. "Ye not be worried about who.or what.we'll meet there?"  
  
He closed his fingers over hers in a mischievous smile. "Love, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."  
  
"Aye," she glared at him, freeing her arm with a squirm. "And it's a bloody name!"  
  
Jack acted wounded. "That was a stab in the heart, love." Ana glared at him, her hand raising dangerously and Jack cowered a little. "We'll be cared.I promise love!" he said deploringly.  
  
"And what do yer promises mean? I don't see my boat anywhere!" she scoffed.  
  
Jack shined the nails of one hand on his shirt, the other still gripping the wheel. He chose to ignore that last part and leaned in close to her. "I can promise I'll make ye very satisfied, love." He wrapped his free arm around her waist.  
  
Ana played with the beads in his hair with one hand while tracing his mustache with the other with a sweet smile. Too sweet. "Really," she breathed against his lips then.  
  
SMACK  
  
Jack reeled away as Ana yelled at him furiously. "Jack Sparrow you domineering sexist pig! If the likes of you ever touches me again.I'll.I'll." She resorted to Spanish curses. "I don't think I deserve that." she heard him mutter as she stalked away.  
  
Anamaria was at the helm steering, looking nervously over her left shoulder. She hadn't seen the captain since the prior night, but now it was midday and she was worried. "Gibbs!" she barked. "Get Jack up here now!"  
  
Jack poked his head up on deck. "Ye called, love?"  
  
Gibbs gestured behind them. "They be gainin' on us, Captain. They ain't got any colors." Gibbs looked uneasy.  
  
Jack's brow puckered. "We'll see what they want." He took the wheel from Ana.  
  
"Be careful, Sparrow, remember?" Ana told him in a low voice.  
  
Jack rolled his eyes. As the ship came alongside the Pearl, the crew finally saw a small British Flag. Some sighed in relief and others crew more wary. Jack, out of the corner of his eye, watched Anamaria step out of sight of the other ship behind his cabin. "Interesting," he muttered.  
  
The shipped stopped and a tall man on the other ship with a rifle stepped forward. "Aye, you there! Who be the captain?"  
  
Gibbs and Jack exchange a look. "I am," Jack stepped forward, leaving Gibbs to hold the wheel.  
  
"Name's Evans. We're lookin' for a slave," Evans growled. The two men were separated by only a few feet of water.  
  
"Ah," Jack said calmly. "This slave of yours got a name?"  
  
Behind the cabin, Anamaria held her breathe, heart beating furiously.  
  
"Anamaria Santagio." 


	2. Past Revisited

AN: Many thanks go out to J.L. Dexter (muchos thanks for being honest!) and Missy Mouse who have already reviewed! I'd love more reviews so keep them coming pretty please?  
  
Continued from last chapter:  
  
"Ah," said Jack calmly. "This slave of yours got a name?" Behind the cabin, Anamaria held her breathe, heart beating furiously.  
  
"Anamaria Santagio."  
  
Chapter 2: Past Revisited.  
  
Ana's heard stopped. She squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn't get inside the cabin without the crew seeing. She was stuck. Jack's eyes squinted and he frowned. Gibbs shot the crew a warning look behind the captain's back. The man Evans handed Jack a sketch. It was a little rough, but unmistakably a younger, softer Anamaria. His eyes widened. This was very interesting. "She your girl then, mate?" Jack asked casually.  
  
Evans grinned fiercely and chuckled. "Bloody hell no. I'm just sent to track her down; there's a reward, ye know. She was the lord of the plantation's plaything, aye?"  
  
The crew's eyes had sparked at the word 'reward,' not having seen the sketch, and the fierce man didn't miss it. "Oh, aye, " he continued. "She's a pretty valuable lass. There be gold if she be brought back."  
  
"Terribly sorry, can't help you." Jack said quickly.  
  
"Pretty lady down-" squawked Mr. Cotton's bloody parrot.  
  
"I said, terribly sorry." Jack hissed, cutting him off. But it was too late. Evans and two of his crew had already swung onto the Pearl. Jack's eyes darted around quickly and he scurried to cut off the men from reaching Ana. "See mate, " Jack drawled, waving his hands wildly. "We 'ave seen her.a few months over in Tortuga." Jack waggled his eyebrows. "We got pretty friendly, mate."  
  
The men shrugged around the captain. Jack drew his other pistol. Damn. Evans walked around the corner straight into Anamaria's pistol. Jack had a pistol to heach of the men's heads in a flash. "Walk, man," Jack growled. The rest of the Pearl's crew had guns drawn and focused on Evans' crew as soon as they saw what Jfack and Ana had done. Evans' crew had no weapons in hand and no time to react.  
  
"Man the guns," Jack barked at a group of three. Gibbs relieved Evans and his two comrades of their weapons and Jack grinned, his eyes staying serious. "Now. Get on yer boat and don't follow us until you're out of range of our little guns, savvy?"  
  
For good measure, Jack clunked Evans on the head with his pistol as he returned the man to his own ship. When all were back on their own boat, the Incorrigible Ana noted, Jack ordered, "Move!" Half the crew set to work opening the sails in a matter of seconds while the other manned the ship's cannons. The Pearl sprung away, leaving those on the Incorrigible staring confusedly after them.  
  
Ana's gun clanged to the floor after a few long moments and she started at it blankly. "'Ang on, love." Jack murmured as he watched her from where he stood at the helm.  
  
Ten minutes later found the Pearl a safe increasing distance from the other ship, and Anamaria stood clutching the rail staring at a churning ocean. Wordlessly, Jack gave the wheel to Gibbs and crossed to her, standing beside her at the rail. He opened hs mouth several times, unable to start. "Ana, love," he finally murmured, "Yer shaking."  
  
Ana made no response, feeling her heart turn over with his voice and willing it not to do so. Jack took a deep breath, bracing himself for another slap as he gently pried Ana's white-knuckled fingers from the rail. He reached around to lean against the high rail himself and pull her into him. To his surprise (and great relief) she came willingly, one of her hands clutching his shirt and the other automatically sliding around him. Jack tucked her head under his chin and gently stroked her hair with one hand. With the other arm firmly around her waist he kept her stead.  
  
And safe. Ana felt safe all at once. Her tears spilled over. Jack saw them and pulled her closer. "Aw, love, don't cry. Ole Jack's not going to let anyone hurt ye, promise."  
  
"What do your promises mean?" she sniffed disdainfully through her tears.  
  
"For you, love," he whispered. "Everything."  
  
Ana pulled back and watched his eyes curiously. They were dark and serious pools. He was rarely serious in all the time she'd known him, but she knew that he was now. She swallowed. "Thank you, Jack." She whispered.  
  
"Come on." He said suddenly, pulling her towards his cabin. Ana dug her heels in, resisting. She felt a sudden stab at stupidity.  
  
"What? I ain't going nowhere!" she snapped, hand rising in warning. Jack smiled and curled his mustache.  
  
"Ana, love. We're on a pirate ship! In broad daylight! And if ye keep looking at me like that, things are going to get verrrrry interesting!" He had whirled on her and started jumping up and down like he had a tendency to do when he was frustrated. "In front of the whole bloody crew!" he finished with a smirk.  
  
Ana gasped. Her strength flooded back. "You despicable man!" she said angrily, "If you ever think that I would ever--!"  
  
Jack caught her flailing fist with a widening of his eyes. "I don't think you want to be doing that, love." He said dangerously, dark eyes solemn.  
  
"And why not?" she snapped, squirming.  
  
"Because I just can't resist, love," Jack had her pinned against the outside walls of his cabin before she could react. He captured her lips roughly with his and she fought back against his with her own. Both were locked in a struggled not to give in first. Finally, a resounding squawk from the parrot brought Ana crashing back to reality. She shoved him away and glared daggers at the gaping pirates on deck. She slipped into the nearest place, his cabin, and slammed the door in his face.  
  
Jack turned to give the crew an apologetic glance before shouting and banging on the locked door. "Ana! Let me bloody in! You bloody sea witch! Ana I just saved your derriere, love! A fine one at that but-"  
  
The door swung open and Ana grabbed his shirt and hauled him inside as he gave a startled yelp. He dusted off his jacket. "I knew you'd warm up to me darling." His expression turned scared as Ana shoved her shaking finger in his face.  
  
"Ye had no right to do that Sparrow! Embarassin' me in front of the whole bloody crew and baiting me.and.and." She stopped, tears running down her face. With a small sob she collapsed in a chair. She roughly swiped her eyes. This was madness. Pirates didn't *cry*.  
  
Jack raised his eyes skyward briefly as if a prayer of thanks then knelt beside her. "Ana, darlin'." he said soothed silkily, taking out a kerchief to wipe her tears.  
  
She swatted his hands away and looked at him with sad, wide eyes then sighed. "I can't stay on the Pearl. They'll be reading for ye next time."  
  
"Why didn't ye tell me there was bloody bounty hunters after ye, love?" Jack rubbed one of her hands with a large, calloused one.  
  
She gave him a feisty grin. "Come on, Jack. Don't all pirates have hunters after them?"  
  
"Not like him, love. I mean, I've got bloody Norrington and his men, but they're not professionals."  
  
Ana gave a shake of her head. "It's a long story and it ain't best to be pouring out ye secrets, aye?" "Aye," he said mournfully. "Would ye tell me it, love?"  
  
Ana looked at him warily. 


	3. Stories and Comfort

Thank you thank you thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming, constructive criticism is appreciated too. Promise I won't bite back!  
  
Chapter 3: Stories and Comfort  
  
"Would ye tell me it, love?"  
  
Ana looked at him warily. She frankly wasn't used to seeing a nice Jack Sparrow. She sighed. "I'm a bloody runaway, Jack. Ye heard Evans tell you that. I ran away eight years ago."  
  
Jack blinked. "Yer a pirate now, love, not a slave. And a damn good one at that. 'Aven't even got a brand."  
  
Ana closed her eyes and muttered an oath. "Who says I don't?" She pushed her hair aside and turned her shoulder, pulling part of her shirt down so he could see the back of her shoulder. Jack sat up on his knees, mouth falling open and he reached out a dark-tanned hand to trace one of the angry light scars that become visible then out of sight once more as they crisscrossed down her back.  
  
She flinched when she felt him touch her. She was completely unprepared when she felt his chapped lips brush over one in a tender kiss. He drew back, eyes unreadable. "Nobody hits ye, love."  
  
"Well Sparrow, they did." She said softly, covering up her scars once more. "I've got my demons too, aye?" She made to get up and leave only to have Jack block her way. She tried several times to get around him only to have him intercept her. She let out a scream of frustration. "Sparrow, out of my way!" She raised her hand to slap him but was stopped by his almost sad voice.  
  
"Darlin', you can slap me, bite me, or kick me but I ain't movin'. I think there's more to yer story and ye be hurting, savvy?" Jack had his arms around her and she went limp in his grasp.  
  
"Aye," she muttered. "There's more." She found herself not able to stand. Jack stiffened and caught her, sinking them both down on the windowseat. Ana's world spun and jolted as the past she had so fiercely fought against came flooding back to her. She threw her arms around him and buried her facer in his chest, trying to block out everything but Jack. He had started to stroke her hair. She began shakily. "I was born a slave. My father was born free and when I was young he used to tell me stories about the outside world. I was a little wild in my work, and was always punished for it. But that's not where the scars came from. When I was sixteen the Lord of the plantation, Charles, decided he wanted me to himself."  
  
She shuddered and Jack's hand stilled. "Ye mean--?"  
  
"Aye," she cut him off. "I was his whore. I can't." she shook her head angrily. "I can't tell ye what he did to me, Jack. I tried to escape a few times.and couldn't. "She swiped furiously at her eyes and drew a shaky breath. "My son was born when I was seventeen.Stephan."  
  
"Ye have a boy!" Jack exclaimed. "Why didn't ye say so, love? We can go pick him up and teach him to be a pirate."  
  
"No!" Ana yelled. She sighed. "No. Everything got worse when I was eighteen. Stephan was a year and he got sick.measles. He wouldn't stop crying and they beat me." She sobbed brokenly and tried to continue. ".They killed him, Jack."  
  
Jack's arms tightened inescapably around her and he murmured something in her ear that he couldn't make out. She quieted slowly and her emotions and the expression faded from her voice. "I ran away again and bartered a passage off a merchant ship and ended up in Tortuga. The rest is history." She shrugged and raised her tearstained face. She was shocked to see small pools of wetness beneath Jack's eyes as well.  
  
Ana carefully wiped them away and Jack tilted forward to bury his face in her hair. "So strong, Ana." He murmured.  
  
Suddenly Ana was angry: angry with herself for being so weak, angry at her hunters for starting this again, and angry at Jack for being so kind. She pushed him off and jumped up, snatching her hat from the desk. "Aye, are ye disgusted with me, Capt'n? That you've kissed a whore like me? I've dirtied yer bloody ship, that's for sure!"  
  
"Darlin'." Jack started, getting to his feet.  
  
"Let me off this ship, Sparrow!" she shouted. "I won't bloody go back! Just give me a bloody rowboat, I can do it just fine by myself."  
  
"Yer not dirty, love." Jack smiled wryly but didn't come closer yet. She wasn't ready for physical contact, he could see that. "And the Pearl.she's lucky to have a lady like yourself. I've seen my share of whores." Ana snorted at this, and he had loved them too, she finished bitterly. ".And ye ain't like any of them," Jack finished lamely. Gorgeous, man, he thought to himself.  
  
He stepped closer and she was pinned against the desk. "And I ain't bloody letting you go," he growled, wrapping her in his arms, keeping one hand free to touch her cheek.  
  
Ana looked at him. She caught sight of the emotion clearly visible in his eyes and felt it too. It was she who acted upon it. She took his face between her hands and kissed him hard. One of Jack's arms flailed for a few moments, and, discouraged, Ana let him go. Jack gaped at her, then smiled silkily and curled his mustache.  
  
He pitched forward and kissed her with a passion that stunned her. She had seen his lust. This was his passion and it gave her an incredible rush of pleasure that it was for her. His tongue caressed hers as they danced and fought. Each person drew the other closer, unwilling to be outdone. Ana tossed Jack's hat aside and tangled the fingers of one hand in his hair. Jack pulled away a little to rest his forehead against hers, running his hand down her back in what he would explain to her as comfort and coming back to cup her face and tangle in her hair. He kissed her shoulder, the side of her neck, her cheek, and then her lips again.  
  
Ana wrapped her other arm around his neck and she felt him change, slow. He met her lips tenderly, softly caressing them and sucking on her lower lip. She felt her heart swell and warmth rush through her veins. Jack Sparrow, was shaken. Ana was unlike any woman he'd ever kissed, her met. He wanted to keep his promises to her.prove himself to her. He wanted to protect her and was taken by some emotion like he'd had too much rum already.  
  
Something banged on the door. Both pairs shot open and up. Jack kept Ana tight against him, shielded from the door. "Aye?" he asked roughly. "Aye?" he called louder, with one hand picking up his pistol and pointing it at the door.  
  
Seconds passed.  
  
**  
  
AN- A little short.sorry, but I'll try to make the next ones longer. 


	4. Port Royal, mate?

AN- okay everyone, this might be a little confusing if you've read this part earlier..but I decided to change/re-write/extend it completely! I'm sorry for any confusion, I hope you like this a little better than it was before, if not, so sorry!!  
  
_______________  
  
Something banged on the door. Both pairs shot open and up. Jack kept Ana tight against him, shielded from the door. "Aye?" he asked roughly. "Aye?" he called louder, with one hand picking up his pistol and pointing it at the door.  
  
Seconds passed.  
  
_________________  
  
Chapter 4: Port Royal? _________________  
  
"Jack?" they finally heard an uncertain voice. Gibbs.  
  
"What be the trouble?" Jack asked on full alert.  
  
"Aye.where we be headed Capt'n? I need to steer the ship, sir," Gibbs growled.  
  
Jack grinned. "Port Royal, mate."  
  
Ana's eyes went wide. "Port Royal? Are ye daft? Yer a wanted man there!" she all but shrieked.  
  
"Pirate," he reminded her cheerfully. "Will an' Elizabeth will gladly take ye in and keep ye safe. They're trustworthy sort."  
  
She frowned. "So I'll stay with 'em and ye all will go after the treasure on Isla de Muerta  
  
Jack looked somewhat uneasy and he frowned. "Maybe, love. Not sure yet."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I got work to do, Capt'n." She freed herself with a squirm and made to open the door. Jack stopped her with a hand on her wrist.  
  
"Just.be careful, love. There be several who do anything for gold.I just don't trust em, savvy?" He kissed her briefly once more in parting, eyes solemn.  
  
Ana stroked his cheek in reassurance, then shoved her hat down over her hair and opened the door. Jack watched her step through into the bright Caribbean sunlight. He leaned up against the doorjamb and took a swig of his rum. "Anamaria." he sighed. What a woman.  
  
"Capt'n." Gibb's hoarse voice came from the side into his ear.  
  
Jack jumped and flailed his arms, startled, a hand dramatically on his chest. "Aye?"  
  
"We be arrivin' at Port Royal 'afore noon tomorrow. There be a good strong breeze." Both men unconsciously glanced at the helm where they saw Anamaria steering, following a compass in her hand.  
  
"Good." Jack told Gibbs. "She can be safe there for at least a while."  
  
Gibbs looked at his friend, somewhat surprised and disappointed. "We be leaving her there?"  
  
"Aye," Jack eyed his friend seriously. "Ain't it bad luck to have a woman onboard anyways, mate?"  
  
Gibbs looked uncomfortable. "It used to be.me guesses. But she does more than most of the men, truth be told."  
  
"Aye." Jack agreed sorrowfully.  
  
_____________  
  
For the second time in three days the Black Pearl made its way into Port Royal. It anchored somewhat in a small deserted rocky cove. Anamaria and Jack launched a boat to go ashore. "They'll recognize ye," Ana hissed.  
  
Jack frowned. "I got ye to protect me, love." Ana rolled her eyes and strapped on another pistol. She insisted she would row as ell and after safely stashing the boat behind a clump of trees, the pair entered the bustling Port Royal.  
  
He pulled her along behind him and she followed obediently, although she doubted very much that he knew where he was going. Finally he stopped in front of a large fenced-in stone mansion. "Home sweet home," he announced cheerfully, pushing open the gate.  
  
Ana dug her heels in. "Yer going to waltz up to the bloody front door? Everyone's lookin' for ye, ye fool!"  
  
Jack let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, aye. We'll go around, savvy?"  
  
"Savvy," Ana replied. Jack eyed her, strangely amused by this, and kissed her hand. She scowled.  
  
_____________  
  
Elizabeth Swann sat in the shade of her porch, fanning her self delicately. Her lips parted in appreciation as she admired her new ring. It was delicately woven thin silver strips with a small sapphire stone. Will had come by last night and spoken to her somewhat disappointed father. Will proposed to her and just thinking about it made her eyes well up. He had made the ring himself.  
  
She closed her eyes. She could almost hear his somewhat rough, but still beautiful voice whispering the words that he had spoken the night before.  
  
"Elizabeth!!"  
  
Elizabeth gave a little scream and nearly fell out of her chair. She was staring into a pair of dark dancing eyes lined in black. "Jack!" Elizabeth shot up. "What are you doing here? There's looking all over for you!" she hissed.  
  
"I told you so, Jack Sparrow! Yer daft!" Elizabeth heard a woman's shrill, angry voice come from behind him.  
  
"Anamaria?" Elizabeth asked curiously. "What's going on?"  
  
"Ah, can we come in, love? I don't want to lose my neck just yet, savvy?" Jack cut in impatiently.  
  
Elizabeth led them into a small parlor. She leaned her head out the door and grabbed a passing maid. "Fetch William Turner from the blacksmith shop." She told the girl simply.  
  
"They're lookin' for us, Elizabeth," Jack told her.  
  
"You too?" Elizabeth frowned at Anamaria.  
  
"Yes!" Jack answered, frustrated. "Can you.disguise her or something?" Ana glared at him, shaking her head in protest.  
  
"Ana, come with me. You can where one of my dresses. I'm sure no one will recognize you. Will can get you something to change into, Jack." Elizabeth bubbled on, taking Ana by the arm. Jack waved cheerfully at her, and Ana raised her fist and grumbled, firing daggers from her eyes at him behind Elizabeth's back.  
  
The governor's daughter rummaged through her closet. She pulled out a sky blue and white print dress. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed. "It's a few years old, but Father bought it off some traders from Puerto Rico, " she chattered on and on.  
  
Ana snapped to attention, something clicking in her mind. Puerto Rico. Her eyes widened. Five minutes later, a certain unsuspecting pirate captain was inspecting a broken piece of a silver light, holding it up to eye level with certain curiosity.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
Jack dropped the piece with a bang and wince, spinning around as a whirl of blue fabric ran into the room. "Ana?" he asked, puzzled.  
  
"Just now, Elizabeth mentioned something about--"  
  
Jack clapped his hand over her mouth. "Now wait just a minute love, yer not gonna let a lonely man go without a look, all dressed up nice as ye are," he teased with a wicked smirk. Her hair was pinned up and the dress was high in back and square-necked in front. Ana's golden skin glowed against the fabric and it skimmed her body, showing Jack the curves that he had only been able to imagine before. His eyebrows rose as he surveyed her and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Ye could make quite a livin' in Tortuga, love."  
  
Ana's eyes darkened with temper and she slapped him suddenly before he had a chance to react. With one hand clutched on his reddening cheek, he reeled away from her, blinking in shock. "I thought we were past all this slapping bit, love," he tried to tell her, but her anger was on the rise and he was not helping it.  
  
"Jack Sparrow is that what ye take me for, one of yer whores from Tortuga!" Ana turned on her heel and made her way into the hallway where several servants were milling about.  
  
Jack frowned with a little surprised noise as he scooted to where she was making her getaway; not very successfully it appeared, due to those skirts. He grasped her arm, eyes still glittering in a way that heightened her anger more. "Ana, love don't be angry, it's a compliment," he tried valiantly at his most dashing smile. Servants were staring now, making no attempt to be discreet; Ana didn't notice through her anger and Jack gave them an apologetic smile.  
  
He dodged the hand that shot out of nowhere. "What I mean is," he paused, dodging another flying palm, "yer not like them and ye just look so," he hesitated and cringed, waiting for the stinging slap which had not come yet, "lovely," he finished bravely.  
  
Ana sighed in frustration; her expression was still angry. He brushed a piece of hair from her cheek and gave her a hopeful smile. Ana knew if she stayed a moment longer she would give in to his charms and be putty in his calloused hands. She turned on her heel again and marched up the stairs, headed to the far west wing, him following at her heels. She turned down the hall, pushing a maid out of her way as she opened the door Elizabeth had told her she was to stay in. "Ana, love don't be angry. Talk to me," Jack said imploringly, his eyes taking on the 'lost puppy' expression.  
  
Ana was not moved and shut the door in his face. He heard the lock click in place and resumed the position he had been the previous day. "Ana, open the blasted door!"  
  
Ana breezed through her room. She threw open the windows and tried to ignore his calls. "Go away, Sparrow," she yelled sharply.  
  
Jack leaned his forehead against the cool wood door. "I ain't leavin' until ye," he hesitated. What did he want her to do? He blinked, coming up with the thing that crossed his mind, "tell me what Elizabeth said that was so important."  
  
Ana let out a frustrated huff; this man was insufferable. He'd chased her all the way up the stairs and was shouting so the whole house could hear so he could know what she'd barely mentioned in the first place? "What? No! It ain't important, just let me be, Captain Sparrow."  
  
Jack winced through the wooden barrier. After all her fighting against the title, now that she finally said it, it brought him no joy. "Ana, I'm warning ye!"  
  
"Warning me with what?" He heard her laugh bitterly, and suddenly Jack decided that he wanted in that room.  
  
"Ana, if ye don't open this door, I'll hafta--" he bellowed, then paused, not knowing what he'd have to do. He looked down and saw both his pistols secure in his belt. "Shoot the blasted lock!" He fumbled to get it out of his belt, knowing that this was not a rash thing to do. But, he was not a rash man.  
  
Ana jumped to the right of the door instinctively. If he was daft enough to do this, then she certainly didn't want to be in the way of the bullet. "What! Jack Sparrow if ye dare to-"  
  
BANG.  
  
Servants screamed around him and Jack glance around sheepishly. "It's okay!" he yelled, "It was stuck!" The servants looked slightly calmer and Jack shook his head. Oh well. He kicked at the door in an attempt to make it swing outward, something he'd always wanted to try. It didn't budge. He tried once more for good measure: still nothing. He shoved it with both hands. Nope. Finally he rolled his eyes, turned the mangled handle and pulled the door towards him open it-  
  
To come face to face with Ana's sword at the tip of his nose, "Jack Sparrow ye are the daftest man I've ever met. Yer destroying the house!"  
  
Jack flicked the blade down with his finger. "Ana, put that away."  
  
"Don't try my patience, Jack. It's already worn out." The blade replaced itself at his throat.  
  
Jack ran his fingers along the blade. "Do you really want to start this, love?"  
  
"I'm not a whore," she gritted his teeth. "I may have been one man's whore, but I'm not open for all of Tortuga. If ye can't get that through yer thick skull, then I might as well fight ye."  
  
Jack sighed like this was all terribly boring to him, "If you insist." He drew his sword and set up before her, "But yer going to have an awful time in that fine dress."  
  
Ana let out a shriek of frustration, attacking first. He parried the attack, blocking high as she kept at her precise blows. Jack lunged back, and she blocked him easily, gown or not. They kept at it for several minutes, swords clanging and eyes never leaving the others'. Ana's flashed angrily while Jack's appeared somewhat amused. Jack noticed suddenly that the neckline of her dress had slipped downward to reveal a rather full bodice.  
  
Ana knocked Jack's sword out of his hand as she noticed his attention wavering. Jack held up one hand in a gesture of surrender; the other swept behind him onto a desk and grabbed an enormous lead candlestick. He warded off several blows with this, until he caught it just right and the sword reeled back with a resounding clang. Ana knew there must be a notch in the blade and hesitated for only the slightest moment. It was enough and Jack knocked the sword out of her hand with one swipe. She lunged towards his sword, but dropped the candlestick at the last minute just before her outstretched hand, causing her to jerk it back. Jack grabbed his own sword which had stuck into an upholstered chair. Moving to rise from the floor, Ana felt his sword tip brush back a stray lock of hair from her face.  
  
She rose slowly, hands splayed in a gesture of helplessness. Her eyes were spitting fire. Jack looked smugly at her. "What did I tell ye, love? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Ana made no reaction, knowing that was what he wanted. Jack chucked. "Come on, love. Don't be bitter." Ana all but spat in his face.  
  
Jack sighed heavily. "Now, tell me what it is that ye have so brilliantly discovered." He flicked his sword closer and leaned in, lips so close that she could feel his warm breath. "Or I might have to resort to other methods, savvy?"  
  
Ana gulped. She knew herself well and knew that if he started kissing her there might be no way she could stop herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and finally said expressionlessly, "Lord Charles Adler. He never sent anyone after me before. Last April over by Puerto Rico we ripped off some traders and one of 'em looking bloody familar. He thought I was dead before, and must 'ave seen me."  
  
"Oh," Jack said for lack of any other intelligent comment. He heard her sigh angrily and he cocked his head at her, eyes softening. "I know yer not a whore." At the daggers she shot at him, he winced. "As me honor as a pirate, love, I don't see ye as one. Yer my first mate-" he paused, knowing he was going to say something wrong, "And me friend, and a bloody amazin' woman."  
  
Ana did not smile, but her expression softened somewhat, and she managed to nod. Jack lowered his sword, looking relieved. Out of nowhere, her hand shot out and slapped the fading red mark on his cheek. "In case ye ever forget it," she told him seriously as he gaped at her.  
  
Rubbing his cheek, Jack nodded like a child, his expression looking somewhat downtrodden. After his-well, kind of apology he hadn't expected that. Ana sighed, feeling somewhat guilty.  
  
Bloody pirate.  
  
She rose on her tiptoes and took his face in her hands, blowing gently on the innocent place where she had just harmed. Keeping her hands firmly on either side of his dark locks so he couldn't discreetly turn his head at the last second, she kissed the rouging spot.  
  
She meant to step back, but his sword clanged to the floor and his hands wrapped around her wrists, keeping them firmly in place. He gently kissed both of her cheeks and gently brushed his lips over hers once. Then, feeling as if that was enough of that considering the previous context, he slid his hands down her arms to wrap around her back and shoulders, one hand cradling her head to his chest. Ana's arms instinctively came down, one to rest on his shoulder and the other slipping around his waist. She closed her eyes, hearing the soothing rhythm of his heart against her ear.  
  
Jack inhaled her hair, knowing that he'd miss her when and that he most likely wasn't doing the right thing leaving her here alone. She was safer here than aboard the Pearl, he reminded himself. Jack pressed his lips against the top of her head, committing the warm feeling flooding him to memory. He would need to be able to remember this on those late wakeful nights aboard the Pearl; it had become like tradition that he and Ana, both sleepless, would talk for hours and stare at the stars and the rolling ocean until the lullaby finally lulled both to sleep. Ana sighed contentedly, and Jack heaved one of his own a moment later.  
  
She heard it before Jack did. A heavy footstep and the whir of a sword blade. She broke away and both froze. Ana had Jack's other gun drawn and cocked in seconds.  
  
"Jack! What are you bloody doing to Eliz-" 


	5. Monkeys, Pistols, Questions, and Goodbye...

Chapter 5: Monkeys, Pistols, Questions and Goodbyes  
  
______________  
  
"Jack! What are you bloody doing to Eliz-"  
  
Ana shoved Jack's body aside and found his pistol inches away from the nose of a thunderously angry-looking William Turner the Second. "-- Anamaria?" He finished, expression changing to puzzled. Ana lowered the gun with a sigh and rolled her eyes.  
  
Will shrugged sheepishly. Jack stuck his head between the two and scowled, his eyes dancing still. "What did it bloody look like I was doing, mate?"  
  
Ana whacked his arm half-heartedly. She was getting sick of being interrupted like this. "It's my dress, Will." Elizabeth's voice floated to them from the doorway. Will turned to her, tension leaving his face and arm going slack. "Jack was going to tell us what's so dreadfully important. He might need a disguise. He is also going to explain why he is destroying my father's house" Elizabeth crossed gracefully to them, hands on her hips.  
  
"Ah," Jack looked to Anamaria for help, who gave him a "you did this by yourself" look. "Well," Jack tried again, eyes shifting to survey the damage to the room. The door lock was blown off, a chair was knocked over and ripped open, and the desk was swept clean of its possessions. The teasing light sparkled in his eyes "See, love, Ana here got raging angry with me and took out her terrifying temper on this poor, innocent room. I was scared to death."  
  
Ana's eyes widened and she kicked Jack's shin. Jack yelped in pain and threw up his hands. "What I really mean is," he paused, "There was a monkey."  
  
Elizabeth looked at him with incredulous eyes. "A monkey, Jack?"  
  
"Aye, a tricky blighter he was too. Crawled through the window and near attacked Ana as she and I were--" he paused, taking a step away from the dark-skinned female pirate, "otherwise occupied."  
  
Ana suddenly remembered she had the pistol in her hand and was sorely tempted, raising it dangerously. "Ye were saying, Sparrow?"  
  
Jack made a little bow with his hands towards her. "Why don't ye tell them then, love? So I don't get it all wrong."  
  
Ana sighed and tossed the gun onto the abused cushioned chair, realizing that she was almost as much as fault as he was for the mess. "Well, it doesn't really matter now who did it now that it's done? But we're very sorry and we'll pay for it all, aye Jack?"  
  
Elizabeth frowned at the two but did not push the issue. "Why don't you both come downstairs to the parlor and we can talk in someplace that isn't in shambles?" Exchanging glances, Jack and Ana followed the engaged couple down the stairs, grinning sheepishly at the looks the maids were giving them. Ana shoved Jack, threw an arm around her shoulders and met the servants' glances with his own smug one. Ana rolled her eyes but did not bother to remove his arm.  
  
They sat in the parlor uncomfortably for a few moments until Will finally became impatient, something Jack had realized he was prone to do. "Jack, why are you here?"  
  
Jack leaned forward, "That would be Ana's tale, mate?"  
  
The pair looked at Ana expectantly. She glared at Jack for a moment, who was currently wearing a very pleasant expression. "I'm being chased," Ana sharply said finally. "I'm a runaway plantation slave and now there be bounty hungers after me. They came up to the Pearl and we were only just lucky enough. Happy?"  
  
"Ye gotta keep her safe for me, mate." Jack cut in, leaning over to Will and Elizabeth, who looked slightly wary of Ana's tone. "Just until this blows over."  
  
Elizabeth nodded instantly. "Of course you can stay with us! She can stay here in my father's house with me, can't she, Will?"  
  
Will nodded agreeably as well. "Bounty hunters, you say?" he asked thoughtfully, "For a plantation slave?"  
  
Jack and Ana exchanged another look. Jack leaned over and said whispered loudly in Ana's ear, "I told ye he was a bit slow of a whelp, aye?" He straightened up and answered for Anamaria, "She was his, er, unwilling mistress, mate."  
  
Elizabeth's hands flew to her mouth. "Please forgive our rudeness," she shot a poisonous glare at Will, who murmured an apology as well. "Jack, you're staying the night of course?" She asked, playing the part of the proper hostess once more.  
  
Jack looked a little torn. "Er, no. Sorry mates, but those buggers are still searching for the Pearl and the crew's most likely in danger as it is from the bloody commodore of yours." He tried to catch Ana's eye only to find her eyes were downcast. "And if we wait too long that treasure on Isla de Muerta will find its way into someone else's pocket, savvy?" Elizabeth looked ready to comment on this reasoning, but thought better of it.  
  
Elizabeth, Will, and Ana brought Jack to the front door. Elizabeth hugged Jack goodbye and kissed him on both cheeks. "Come back safe, Jack. I don't want to hear of any more curses." She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "We'll keep her safe." Jack gave Elizabeth a grateful look and kissed her cheek in a friendly manner.  
  
Will still snatched Elizabeth out of his arms and gripped Jack's hand in his own for his own farewell. "Good luck," was all that Will told him. Elizabeth took Will's arm and the pair went back into the parlor.  
  
Jack leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed across his chest as he watched her. "Yeh'll be safe here," he finally told her. When she made no response, he shifted uncomfortably and smiled a little. "Ye know I can't stay, love. The Pearl is calling me. I gotta get that treasure for me crew, too, savvy?"  
  
Ana tilted her head, grinning at him. "Pirate," she said knowingly then sighed. "I'm going to miss her."  
  
"I know ye will, love. She's home." He watched Ana bite her lip like she wanted to say something but didn't know what. He watched her shoulders straighten and her lips purse as she decided better of it. Ana was a strong woman, and they were both pirates. She understood.  
  
Jack reached up and untied the string that held one of the several gold coins in his hair and removed it. He held it up, and she watched him curiously as he admired the way the sun glinted off of it. He turned to her and pressed it gently into her palm, closing her fingers around it. "Do not lose this," he said very seriously. He grinned at her. "Take what ye can," he started.  
  
"Give nothin' back." She finished with smile.  
  
"It's our motto, Ana. Ye took her freedom, now don't give it back. If I lose such a lass as yerself then I swear on my honor as a pirate I'll be around to steal ye back, savvy?"  
  
Ana grinned up at him, "I'll hold ye to it, ye scallywag." Ana pointed her finger and shoved it in his face. "I don't want to see ye back here until this whole thing has blown over, ye hear? A month, Jack."  
  
His eyes widened. "A month? Ye don't want me around, do ye?"  
  
"Jack Sparrow," Ana snapped. "Ye already tempt the fates as it is. Ye do not need more practice, do ye hear me?"  
  
"Ana, love-"  
  
"If ye come back here before a month is up, Sparrow, ye can find yer coin lying at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker, savvy?"  
  
Jack sighed heavily. Ana reached into her deep pockets and drew from it a pouch that she usually kept tied around her waist. She took out a large silver ring and turned it over in her fingers. "This here, was my father's. It's always been too big for me, but its always brought me luck. I want ye to take it."  
  
Ana held it out to him, and Jack looked it over before slipping it on his ring finger of his right hand. He noticed the gracefully carved "A" on the inside and Ana told him knowingly, "For Adam. It's my insurance, and if ye don't bring it back to me I'll get ye, Sparrow."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Jack told her. He drew her into an embrace, and she kept him close. He kissed her hair like he had before and gently kissed her lips. Then he touched his hat and walked out the door down towards the harbor. Ana watched him as he walked away, his figure noticeable in the crowd by the way he swayed back and forth.  
  
A month. That was a bloody long time. 


	6. Missing You and Petit Pirate Problems

AN: *squeals and claps hands while jumping up and down with joy like an Orlando Bloom Fangirl* (no offense to them!) Thankyouthankyouthankyou everyone who reviewed! You made my night! This chapter is about Jack and the pearl and hopefully it will give a little more to the plot aspect, not much fluffy stuff here, *sob* ________________  
  
Chapter 6: Missing You and Petit Pirate Problems ________________  
  
Four days, Captain Jack Sparrow stood on deck at the helm outside the cold, foggy, rocky outcroppings of Isle de Muerta. He was holding a bottle of rum in one hand was steering with the other. He couldn't bring himself to drink it.  
  
Jack's mind was elsewhere. He wondered if Ana was okay, if she was getting along in the Governor's house, and if she had even stayed there. He pitied Elizabeth or Will even if they got on Ana's bad side. He frowned and set down the bottle, squinting at nothing on the horizon Anamaria...  
  
It may be his lack of sleep or even the poetic setting, but Jack had realized a few things as the sun rose that morning. He wanted Anamaria in more ways than one. He wanted to keep her safe, make sure no one hurt her again like they had before. He wanted to touch her, hold her kiss her, love her, even make love to her. He wanted to kiss every single one of her scars and show her that he believed every inch of her was beautiful.  
  
Jack sighed roughly and ran his hand over his face. Bloody woman. He couldn't drink his rum any longer and be satisfied because of it. The treasure did not drive him as fully and the Pearl no longer brought him the joy it once had. The Pearl wasn't much without its own pearl. Bloody Anamaria, she had spoiled it all. He was so free and happy until she'd come along and bloody spoiled it.  
  
That was a lie, he admitted gruffly in his mind. She hadn't spoiled it at all. She had made it all so much better. And now that he wasn't here, what was he left with? A mangy crew, and drunken parrot, and his sword; none of these provided excellent company in the long hours of nothingness.  
  
He heard someone clear his throat. He looked up to see Gibbs curious and complacent (due to his drunkenness still remaining from the previous night). Jack sighed. "Well Gibbs, here we are, again. Gather the crew."  
  
Gibbs patted his shoulder gruffly. "I know ye don't like being away from her, Captain. I'm sure if you stumbled back to Port Royal with some of that gold there a little earlier than a month she wouldn't be minding too much."  
  
Jack shook his head incredulously. "It never fails to amaze me how you can know these things, Gibbs." "I'll assemble the crew," was Gibbs' only knowing reply.  
  
The crew fell in on deck. "Gents," Jack began slowly. "We're earned this treasure. Nay, you've earned this treasure! Everything's in equal share, mates." He paused as he said it, cocking his head curiously. "But what of your absent crewmember? What of her share? I know ye all wanted that gold for her bounty, not knowing it was her own. Now's yer chance to repay that moment of weakness, gents, if yer willing. To give it or take it, I leave it yer keeping."  
  
"Shiver me timbers!" squawked Mr. Cotton's parrot.  
  
"Aye!" the rest of the crew yelled enthusiastically.  
  
Jack grinned. "Now the faster we load all this here treasure into the ship, the faster we can return that share to her, savvy?  
  
"Aye!" roared the crew.  
  
Without a hitch the loading went off and all the treasure (save that cursed Aztec gold) stowed away safely in the Pearl. Jack smiled, gold inciscors glinting in his first real smile since boarding the Pearl. "On to Port Royal!" he announced.  
  
"Yo, Ho!" shrieked Mr. Cotton's parrot. All hands one deck immediately turned their heads to the north horizon, where dark a smudge was visible and growing larger. Jack whipped out his spyglass and peered at the ship. It looked suspiciously like The Incorrigible, he noted with a sinking heart. They were looking for Anamaria of course, and since she'd been last seen on the Pearl, they were searching for the Pearl as well for her whereabouts.  
  
Jack was hit by an idea. He smiled slowly, a smirk creeping across his face and up to his eyes. Gibbs, standing beside him, noticed this immediately. "Captain?" he asked, knowing that something he wasn't bound to like was in store.  
  
Jack turned to his temporary first mate, eyes twinkling. "They're looking for Anamaria mate, right?" Gibbs nodded. "So why don't we give them Anamaria?"  
  
Gibbs' eyes narrowed in confusion and he watched as his captain strode over to a large chest. Jack pulled out a green silk dress and held it up against himself, one eyebrow rising mischievously. _______________  
  
"Captain?" Gibbs called nervously through the door, "I don't see how this is gonna help the lass."  
  
Jack sighed impatiently. "If they think she's here mate, will they be looking in Port Royal?" Jack finished his business and pulled on a cloak over his head so the dark folds hid his face.  
  
Gibbs stepped back as he watched his captain step through the door in a green silk dress and black cloak, face hidden by the shadows, and the ends of his dark hair (the same shade as Ana's, he noted) was visible. He was (thankfully) wearing a high-necked dress with his own boots. Gibbs looked pointedly at this.  
  
"Couldn't be without me things, mate," Jack told him, as if it were completely obvious.  
  
"They'll never fall for this, Jack," Gibbs told him.  
  
"They will," Jack said confidently. He sashayed over to where Mr. Cotton was steering. The crew gaped at him. "Alright mates, just let 'em get close to seem me and take a few shots at those dogs, then we be high-tailing it out of here to leave 'em far in our wake, savvy?"  
  
The crew still looked confused. "Just do it ye scabbard dogs!" Jack bellowed. The crew moved to their positions, somewhat numbly, as they tried to figure out just why their captain was wearing a dress. Gibbs almost laughed; he didn't know which was funnier, the idea of Jack in a gown, or Jack bellowing orders in his deep voice while wearing a gown.  
  
The Incorrigible came up close to the Pearl and Jack stood at the helm, pretending not to notice the other ship was full of Evans' men. As he saw the other ship's men start to point and yell, drawing their guns, Jack ran (femininely, he hoped) over to the ladder, and scurried down it, taking the longest possible route across the deck to behind the captain's cabin.  
  
"Swing about!" ordered Gibbs loudly, "Get us out of here!"  
  
Mr. Cotton tried to respond but his parrot began squawking angrily on his shoulder and he was in the middle of turning the wheel hard a port, he stopped and shushed the bird, pausing in the turning. Jack found himself facing a row of leering crewmen and reached for his pistol, which he could not reach in his trousers underneath the masses of skirts.  
  
While he was fumbling for his pistol, a very large burly crewmember, unnoticed, swung across the narrow space between the two ships and grabbed Jack around the waist. Jack's eyes widened and he went to slug the man, who brought the butt of his sword down on the back of the "woman's" hooded head. The man had one burly arm around Jack's limp body and towed him back to the Incorrigible.  
  
"Jack!" Gibbs yelled, running over to the spot where his captain had been standing. His voice was lost amid a spray of gunshots. He looked across the way, shading his eyes, and realized what had happened, eyes widening. "Mary, mother of God." he muttered.  
  
"Go after them, sir?" asked a short, stocky bald pirate, almost half of Gibbs' height. They hit the deck as several explosions ripped through the Pearl.  
  
"No!" Gibbs yelled, coming to a split second decision. "He would want us to save the Pearl first. We can't fight 'em, not without help. Move!"  
  
The Pearl turned away from the Incorrigible and its captain, somewhat reluctantly, it seemed to Gibbs. However, they gained speed quickly and sprang away from the Incorrigible as they had the last time they'd encountered the ship. "Back to Port Royal," Gibbs said with a weary sigh. _____________  
  
Evans chuckled aboard his ship. The cowards, they wouldn't even fight to get back their own crewmember. No heroes amongst pirates, it seemed. He strode over to the motionless fallen woman, body shrouded in a dark cloak. He rolled her over and his eyes narrowed angrily.  
  
This was no woman! He, rather, she had a beard and most clearly a man! Evans gave the imposter a sharp kick. The imposter did not move. Evans studied his features, realizing that he'd seen the man before. It was the captain, the one who had protected the slave the last time they'd encountered the Black Pearl.  
  
Evans smiled smugly. "Take our guest to the brig. He'll be most helpful when he wakes up."  
  
________  
  
Quick Author's comment/note/apology:  
  
J.L Dexter: I'm taking an idea that you mentioned in a review for one of the first chapters, I hope you don't mind terribly! 


	7. Unfortunate News With Unlikely Alliances

AN: this chapter deals primarily with Anamaria and Port Royal, but the Pearl is bound to show up! *hehe* Merci beaucoup for the reviews! Alas, I've decided to go along with several other fanfics and have Norrington's first name be "James."  
  
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Chapter 7: Unfortunate News and Unlikely Alliances  
  
_______________  
  
Ana, or Alice as she was called here, was bored. It had only been a week and yet she was gong out of her mind. She'd tried to help Will in his shop ("Ana, I'm sorry but you can't be of help. What would people say?"), she'd tried to even help the maids clean, ("Miss, please, beggin' your pardon, but you're a guest of Ms. Swann and I can't allow that,") and now Ana was fed up. She rose and dressed in one of those blasted gowns. The maids were terrified of her, she knew, since the day after she'd arrived when they'd tried to make her wear a corset. Bloody thing was almost as bad as having a sword stuck in your side, and she'd threatened the maids with just that if they ever tried to make her wear one again.  
  
She chucked a little as she pinned up here hair, something she'd gotten rather skilled at. It was useful too; she never had to deal with her long hair falling into her eyes. The boys back aboard the Pearl would be surprised if they ever saw with that. Ana pushed open the door of her bedroom and descended the staircase. She crossed to the dining room where she knew Elizabeth would most likely be eating breakfast.  
  
Ana opened the door a little, caught sight of two figures standing interlocked together by the window, and immediately drew back and quietly clicked the door shut. She stared at the door handle a moment with a wry smile. Elizabeth and Will. He had been at this house almost every day and the soon-to be Turners were constantly stealing moments of privacy. Ana wasn't going to interrupt that.  
  
She walked to the parlor and went in, hoping that perhaps one of the maids could fetch her something from the kitchen (yet another place that she herself had been forbidden to go in). A man in a red jacket was standing there, his back to her. She could see his white powdered wig and shiny black boots and realized this must be a soldier with rank. Instinctively, tried to back out of the room, only to have the man spin around and catch her.  
  
"Excuse me, I'm so sorry," she said meekly, not looking at the man. Redcoats were trouble, especially if they recognized her.  
  
"That's quite alright. I was hoping for a word with the governor. Have I seen you before?" he asked curiously.  
  
Ana's eyes jerked up. She knew that voice. It was Norrington. Commodore Norrington, she corrected herself. The ship she was working aboard had had a scrap with him a year ago, one which she had barely managed to escape. He was well-known throughout the Carribean as a master pirate hunter. Ana was almost surprised that Jack himself had escaped from him. "I don't believe so, Commodore. I'm visiting my friend Elizabeth here in Port Royal for the first time."  
  
Ana realized her mistake as soon as it left her mouth. She had called him Commodore, and they weren't supposed to have met before. Ana brushed one ankle against the other, feeling the comforting presence of her dagger strapped to her ankle.  
  
Commodore Norrington blinked thoughtfully. "But you know me?" he asked.  
  
Ana's mind worked furiously. "Elizabeth pointed you out to me a few days ago down by the harbor when I arrived, sir."  
  
He nodded and seemed to accept that. Ana suppressed a sigh of relief. He bowed to her, and Ana managed a shaky curtsey, something she hadn't attempted in years. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss--?"  
  
"Alice," Ana supplied, she paused a moment. "Alice Jackson." Commodore Norrington kissed her hand, and Ana fought the automatic reaction to slap him.  
  
"Miss Jackson, I must say, you do look familiar to me. Where is it that you come from?"  
  
"I," Ana paused, trying to remember the biography that she and Elizabeth had developed the first day. "I'm from Port William. My family owns a small banking business there; I doubt we've met before, Commodore."  
  
"Please," he smiled graciously, but Ana could see questions in his eyes, "Call me James."  
  
Ana smiled sweetly at him, and was about to reply when something slammed up against the door. She instinctively took a step back, and Commodore Norrington put his hand in front of her as he stepped around her, hand on the hilt of his sword.  
  
The door opened, and a grimy, heavyset man with graying, balding hair and a somber expression hurried in, breathing heavily. He was holding a pistol in his filthy hands, and quickly closed the door behind him.  
  
Norrington went to draw his sword. Ana was hit by recognition. "Gibbs!"  
  
Gibbs looked up and recognized Commodore Norrington, looking confused, be pushed out of the way by a darker-skinned woman in a grey dress. "Gibbs, what's going on? Why are ye here?" she asked him angrily.  
  
Gibbs looked from the woman to the Commodore. "Ana?" Ana realized he was there for the first time. Ana reached around him and relieved him of his sword, angling it so it pointed at his jaw. While doing this, she also took his pistol off of his belt, tossing it to a couch.  
  
Norrington's eyes widened. Ana looked at him with gravely serious eyes, "Commodore, please sit. I don't want to hurt ye, but I can't have ye harming anyone either."  
  
Commodore Norrington sat, his eyes going from the woman to the grimy man. "Ana? You're not Alice Jackson?"  
  
Ana lowered her sword, debating what to tell him. Being a runaway slave was better than being a pirate. "No. Commodore, I'm a runaway slave and if ye want to drag me back and collect the bounty on my return, then you'll have to fight me first. Mister Gibbs is helping me."  
  
The redcoat looked at the filthy man more closely. "Gibbs. I remember you. A fine member of the king's navy, you were."  
  
Gibbs nodded bleakly, and Ana could tell there was something he needed to tell her. "Gibbs, out with it," she commanded sharply.  
  
Gibbs' eyes shifted back and forth, and it appeared that his mind was working overtime. "Ah, we have a problem. Them hunters," he paused.  
  
"Hunters?" Norrington asked sharply.  
  
"Bounty hunters, after Ana," Gibbs told him.  
  
Norrington looked disturbed. "Bounty hunters have been outlawed by the King's Decree issued several years ago."  
  
"These ones ain't stopped by any law," Gibbs replied with a bitter smirk. "Them hunters, Ana. They uh, took someone thinkin' it was ye."  
  
Ana's eyes widened, and her sword dropped all the way down to her side, with a sudden sinking feeling she had a good idea of what had happened. "The captain?" she asked, trying not to give too much away to Norrington.  
  
He nodded bleakly. Ana sank down in a chair. Norrington looked like he was desperately trying to figure out what was going on and couldn't. Ana looked at Gibbs with a spark of anger in her eye, "How did ye let this happen?" she demanded.  
  
Gibbs looked sheepish. "'Tis a long story."  
  
"Do ye know what they'll do to him?" Ana demanded harshly. "Those men have no respect for anyone, no humanity. They'll use him to get my location, Gibbs!" Gibbs was looking significantly afraid, and she shook her head with an angry sigh, springing up from where she was and walking towards the door, "We're going after him. Hang the bloody code."  
  
"The code? The Pirate code?" Norrington asked from where he had been forgotten.  
  
Ana realized her mistake immediately. "Aye," she said, looking at him through hard eyes with a humorless smile, "The Pirate Code." Norrington made to get up and reach for his gun, but was quicker, holding it lazily out in front of her. "Norrington," she said sharply. "Jack Sparrow saved my life, and I sure as hell ain't going to stand by and do nothing while he's tortured, and ye or no bloody army is going to stop me."  
  
"Jack Sparrow?" Norrington repeated dully.  
  
Ana nodded like she were speaking to a simpleton. "Ms. Swann and the governor aren't aware of what I really am, Commodore. So I'd appreciate it if ye didn't punish 'em or anything or the sort."  
  
"They think you're just a runaway," he stated.  
  
"Aye, Mister Gibbs was an acquaintance of Elizabeth's when she first came from England and he brought me to them as good people that they are," Ana lied.  
  
Norrington didn't look fully convinced, but he nodded. "How do you know Mr. Sparrow?"  
  
"He's my captain. He protected me when we first came in contact with the hunters over a week ago."  
  
"I see. Do you know where these bounty hunters are taking him?"  
  
Ana eyed him warily. "Nay, but they're on a ship called the Incorrigible captained by a man named Evans. It's a start; we'll find 'em."  
  
"I have little doubt that you will." Norrington said knowingly with somewhat of a wry smile. He frowned. "This ship, the Incorrigible sounds familiar to me. I'll have to check my files, but I think it is a wanted ship."  
  
Ana frowned, "And what if it is?"  
  
Norrington stood with a flourish and bowed. "Then we shall see. I will return shortly."  
  
Ana frowned at him. "Yer not going to arrest me?"  
  
"No," he said with a smile teasing the corners of his lips. "Miss, I despise slavery in all forms and I will not return you to such a hell."  
  
Ana blinked at him, "I'm a pirate, ye heard me."  
  
Norrington did not reply to this, but his smile grew into a true one. "I will return shortly. I suggest you inform Ms. Swann and her fiancé of the truth." He picked up his sword, which Ana had left beside the chair, but made no attempt to recover his gun, and left.  
  
________________  
  
Anamaria paced the room, Gibbs sitting by the window, and Elizabeth and Will perched on a loveseat nearby, hands intertwined. "I don't know if I trust him," Ana told them.  
  
Elizabeth looked somewhat torn. "I have always thought James to be a good man. He might be somewhat blinded by the law at times, but willing to do the right thing nevertheless."  
  
"Beggin' your pardon, Miss Elizabeth, but here in Port Royal they like to hang pirates, not take them to tea." Gibbs said gruffly. "This is our lives we be talkin' about. Jack's too."  
  
Will shook his head. "I don't see how we can go after Jack with just the Black Pearl. You said The Incorrigible was very heavily armed, right?"  
  
Ana shot a look at Will and Elizabeth. "Who says you be comin'?"  
  
"We'll go with James on his ship," Elizabeth spoke up. "I don't see what the problem is."  
  
Ana frowned at her and spoke through gritted teeth, "The problem is that we don't think we have enough force to take on the Incorrigible by ourselves. Norrington's men and ship would give us a great advantage, but how do we know he isn't going to march us off to the gallows once it's done?"  
  
"Because he will give you his word as an officer."  
  
Ana spun around, raising the pistol clutched in her white knuckles again. Norrington stood in the doorway with two other soldiers. They were not holding any weapons, and Norrington raised his hands slightly as a sign of non-hostility. "And why should I trust your word?" Ana asked hotly.  
  
"Because," Norrington stepped cautiously into the room, motioning his men to stay back, "If I wanted you dead, I would have done it now while you were not prepared and leave Mr. Sparrow to be tortured and killed as his captors saw fit."  
  
Ana's hands shook at his last statement. Elizabeth rose and put her hand over Ana's which held the gun unsteadily. "Ana, we can trust him," Elizabeth told her softly. Ana slowly lowered her gun as the governor's daughter marched over to Norrington, shoving her finger in the officer's face. "And if we cannot trust him, then he will pay very dearly, understood?" Elizabeth firmly told the military man, who nodded meekly.  
  
"Let's go, lass. We can't wait all day." Gibbs told Anamaria impatiently. "The Pearl's waiting offshore."  
  
Ana whirled to face Will, "We're shoving off in a half hour, you can either be on the Dauntless helping, or you can stay here, aye?"  
  
Will nodded and the Commodore spoke up. "The Incorrigible is guilty of sinking several of her Majesty's vessels and causing thousands of dollars of damage and hundred of deaths around London in the past twenty years." He smiled ironically, "Far more than the Black Pearl is guilty of, who's present crew and captain have not committed any crimes so far."  
  
Ana looked a little surprised. "So ye know where they are?"  
  
"A reliable contact of mine knows that this man Evans works for someone in Wittenburg. Chances are that he would take Mr. Sparrow back in that vicinity." Norrington told her.  
  
"Then lets go!" Ana said sharply, handing Norrington back his pistol.  
  
___________  
  
AN: Okayyyy I'm taking a poll. I get Norrington a girl? I don't really like introducing original characters.but I feel bad for him! 


	8. A Beating And A Prayer

AN: gracias for the reviews! Te amo! *excited* Two chapters in a day! Score for no school due to what? Not snow.but the absolutely freezing numbing cold! Fun fact. Haha, don't mind me. And just so you know, I've decided to add in the days since Jack left Port Royal before each section so the timing's not really confusing. Hope it kinda helps!  
  
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Chapter 8: A Beating And A Prayer  
  
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Day 8  
  
Jack Sparrow slowly awakened himself to the sensation of something cold around his feet. He blinked cautiously, taking a moment to adjust to the lightless room. Room? He almost laughed. It was a four by four cell at best, with thick iron bars and a padlock over the door. No windows even, imagine that. He winced as he felt for the back of his head. There was a goose egg of a bump there; no wonder things looked a little fuzzy. He could see across the way there was a knothole in the wood, and through it a small beam of light streamed through, the yellow and purple sky letting him know that it was morning. He must have been out cold the entire night.  
  
He sat up, noticing immediately that he had been relieved of his pistol, sword, and money pouch. He glanced at his hands with a sinking heart but discovered that fortunately they had not taken his rings, save one he had taken from the treasure of Isla de Muerta with an exceptionally gaudy ruby and diamond design. He was also surprised to find himself still in that bloody green dress.  
  
He attempted to unbutton it several times and several ways, ending up spinning around trying to reach a clasp in the back until he realized there was a sound of sloshing water. He glanced down and saw the hemline of the dress and its sail-type skirts was dragging in a good few inches of water on the ship's floor. "Apparently there's a leak," he muttered.  
  
Jack finally tore off the dress over his head, popping a few seams in the process to sacrifice the dress for the sake of getting it off. Thankfully he still wore his britches and a light shirt, although without his vest or sash, he thought regretfully.  
  
Jack heard a door clang above him and instinctively plopped himself down on the bench, looking bored. In strode the man Evans along with another burly- looking crewmember who looked on grimly, holding a large wooden club. Jack grimaced and looked at the man disdainfully. "Can't ye get a little more creative that that?"  
  
"Shut up," Evans told him sharply. "Care to explain why you were wearing that?" he motioned at the dress with aversion.  
  
Jack smirked at the two men, his hands wrapped carelessly around the thick iron bars. "I felt like havin' a little bit of fun with the crew, mate."  
  
The burly guard with Evans slammed the club into the iron bars dangerously close to Jack's hands. Jack's dark-lined eyes widened and he plucked his hands carefully away from the bars.  
  
"This is your last chance, Sparrow." Evans warned him, holding up a key so it glinted in the dim light.  
  
Jack smirked more still. "Or what? Yeh'll let me out?"  
  
Evans patience was through. "Bring him," he ordered. The burly guard unlocked the padlock and grabbed Jack by the arm and pushed him roughly into the narrow space between the cells.  
  
Jack looked at all the cells lined with shackles and frowned. "What is this place?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone.  
  
Evans and the burly crewmember brought him above They lashed his hands to rigging above his head, and tied his ankles together to barely above the ground. One of them removed his hat. "Do not lose that, mate," Jack warned the man, who rolled his eyes.  
  
Evans strolled out in front of the captain, Jack's hat carried thoughtfully in his hands. "Sparrow, where is the slave?"  
  
Jack rolled his eyes, "What makes ye think I know, mate?"  
  
"She was aboard your ship. She obviously isn't any longer or you wouldn't have dressed up in such a, "he paused as if searching for the word, "disguise to try and lure us after the Black Pearl, am I right?"  
  
Jack didn't answer. "Why are you protecting her? Why go through the trouble of disguising yourself?" Evans asked again, more harshly.  
  
Jack smirked. "Didn't I tell ye mate that I was just having a bit of fun-"  
  
He was cut off by the whistle of a whip through the air, landing squarely on his midsection. Jack let out a whoosh of surprised and his eyes narrowed, but he didn't cry out. He gritted his teeth. "Why'd ye do that for, mate?" he asked plaintively.  
  
"Don't lie to me, Sparrow." Evans yelled. "I know you know where she is!"  
  
"What profit is it for ye, mate?" Jack asked, bracing himself for the next blow which did not come.  
  
Evans chucked. It was a very scary sound, indeed. "She has quite a reward on her safe return."  
  
Jack shook his head, trying to stall the man for time. Time for what, he didn't know. "Who would want her this much?" Stupid question, he told himself. He himself would. Any man in his right mind would.  
  
Evans chuckled again. "Who cares?"  
  
Jack looked up at him curiously. "Mate, what's with the brig on yer ship? It's a wee bit large for just mutinous mates and prisoners, aye?"  
  
The other man looked him square in the eye, the beginnings of a smirk appearing on his lean and grimy face, his blue eyes as cold as the waters north of England. "That's because it wasn't originally built for merchant uses," Evans came close to Jack, their faces only inches apart. "Ever heard of the slave trade, mate?" he asked mockingly.  
  
Jack's eyes widened with growing horror. This was a slave ship. Who knew how many innocent souls had died in that brig and how many more had been lost on arrival to the Caribbean and Americas. Jack suppressed a shudder.  
  
Evans stepped back and resumed his calculated pacing, a sardonic grin on his face. "Where's the whore, Sparrow?" he demanded harshly.  
  
"Firstly, she ain't a whore, as long as we're being truthful here. And secondly, I don't rightly know where Ana is, mate," Jack told him. Well, he didn't. She could be halfway to London right now for all he knew  
  
"Wrong answer," Evans told him, the whip lashing out again, this time catching him across his back. Jack did not cry out. On and on went the questioning, and with it on and on went the beatings.  
  
After at least twenty lashes, (Jack had long since lost count) Evans decided it would do no more good to beat him more today and they should wait until the pain had flared and wounds were in place the next day. Jack was returned to his damp cell, sides and his whole midsection burning. He sat carefully on the raised bench and leaned his head against the wall, cautious not to let anything rub against his new wounds. Jack closed his eyes and fell into a deep exhausted sleep.  
  
____________________ Day 8. Dawn.  
  
Ana looked out at the rising sun, praying that the sky did not turn the blood red that sailors had long dreaded, signifying an impending storm. She lifted her compass, hoping the desperate hope seizing her yet again that Norrington knew where to go. Norrington was currently on the Black Pearl down below with Gibbs, mapping out their route and finding the bearings. Ironic, she thought with a wry grin.  
  
The only thing that brought her much confidence in the man at all, besides Elizabeth's faith in him, was that they had passed a small fishing boat earlier that had seen the Incorrigible the day before headed north. The fishermen had sold them some fish and one sailor heard one aboard the Incorrigible mention something about "two bloody days until we get back to Wittenburg for some fun."  
  
Ana sighed, looking at her compass and turned the wheel slightly to the right. She had not slept much and did not care. When Jack was safe, then she would sleep. She had insisted that both boats continue traveling through the night as there was even a slight chance that the Incorrigible would stop and weigh anchor. The pirate woman shifted from foot to foot, alone with her thoughts. It was a good enough time as any to face up to them.  
  
Jack Sparrow. Just thinking about that man made her anger peak and heart swell at the same time. Arrogant he was, downright annoying, at times callous and womanizing as well. But he was also fiercely protective, surprisingly sensitive when she needed it most, and deeply committed to what he believed in. And she, Anamaria Santagio, the most bitter and opposed person to emotion and devotion, had found herself smack bottom in love with him, she thought ironically.  
  
They better not hurt him, she told herself fiercely. They better not have-  
  
She couldn't bring herself to think of it. Life here on the Pearl without Jack just felt wrong. Life anywhere without Jack, as annoying, egotistical, and dense as he may be just felt wrong. Ana turned her attention back to the wheel and forced the thoughts from her head.  
  
She glanced up at the lightening sky and whispered a simple prayer to whatever or whoever was up there.  
  
"Watch over him." 


	9. A Good Man, and Who Be Ye?

Hullo poppets! I just realized I haven't done a disclaimer in a while and perhaps I should.  
  
Disclaimer: C'est dommage, mais je n'ai pas rien. (It's a shame, but I have nothing.) Actually, wait, I am responsible for Evans (*cringes*) and the woman with Jack. And I can't say no more!  
  
And thanks to everyone who has commented, esp. J.L. Dexter for those faithful reviews. (*clasps hands together and bows head*)  
  
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Chapter 9: Good Man and Who Be Ye?  
  
___________________  
  
Day 8. Dawn.  
  
"Watch over him."  
  
Commodore Norrington hand on the rail stilled as he came topside on the Black Pearl, the whispered words carried by the winds to reach his ears. Norrington's eyes swept over the deck, his heart squeezing at the emotion hidden in those words. His gaze rested on the helm and the slim figure that stood there. It was the pirate woman. Her back was to him, shoulders straight and stance comfortable. He watched her turn the wheel slightly and debated the wisdom of interrupting her vigil.  
  
He had been surprised to find the dark-skinned woman a pirate as she had appeared quite like a lady to him when he first seen her. His nose wrinkled in disgust. Slavery in all forms was despicable. He knew more about the Incorrigible than he was telling, unsure how this fierce pirate woman and former slave would react. It was a slave ship, and he knew that even though the transport of new slaves from Africa had been outlawed nearly fifteen years ago, there were still illegal slave ships that brought new plantation slaves. He knew also that the Incorrigable was one of these ships that did so illegally.  
  
Norrington wearily removed his three cornered hat and observed the new day breaking around him. As he watched the woman's dark hair sway with the breeze, he realized just how wrong his assumptions all these years had been. She was in love. She and Sparrow seemed to have some strange unshakable bond. This woman was devoted. She was not a barbarian and neither were her crewmates. And now Norrington allowed himself to cautiously accept that this Jack Sparrow was a good man also.  
  
He stepped lightly forward once, and it appeared that she heard him. Anamaria swung her head around, one hand instinctively going to her sword. She relaxed slightly when she realized it was not a threat. "Commodore," she said sharply in greeting.  
  
"Good morning, miss," Norrington replied politely. "And I told you once that you could call me James."  
  
Ana looked at him wearily. "Very well, James. Then ye must know that I am no 'miss' and call me Anamaria as everyone else does." She glanced around her at the birds settled on some rocks as the two ships continued on. "Ye should be getting some rest."  
  
James smiled somewhat ironically at her. "I don't think we'll be slowing down to let me aboard my ship."  
  
Ana looked at him in a way that left no doubt in his mind, "Aye, that might be true." Somewhat reluctantly, she motioned towards Jack's cabin. "Ye can sleep there if ye want. It was," she corrected herself, "is Jack's."  
  
"Thank you," Norrington told her graciously. He turned to go, but hesitated and felt compelled to say what was his on his mind. "I intend to return him to you without harm, Anamaria."  
  
Ana looked somewhat taken aback, but her expression quickly returned to neutral. "And I intend to get him back." As Ana heard the cabin door click closed, she allowed herself a little smile with a shrug. Elizabeth was right, "He is a good man," she muttered under her breath.  
  
______________________  
  
Day 9, mid-morning.  
  
Jack Sparrow blinked himself into consciousness as he his eyes caught some distinct splashing noises. He tried to raise himself off the bench and with a flash of fiery hot pain, all of the memories of the previous day came flooding back. Jack willed himself to sit up, attempting to ignore that strips of wounded flash across his stomach and back. Again, he heard a splash and was completely positive that he was not hallucinating.  
  
He jerked his head around uncomfortably towards the noise. In the faint light pouring through the familiar knothole he squinted and was barely able to make out another person in one of the many narrow cells across the way from him. He grimaced and attempted to stand. When his vision went dizzy and he swayed, Jack wrapped his hands around the metal bars and supported himself. He would not fall to his knees before this person like an inferior.  
  
"Oy, ye there!" Jack called out hoarsely. The figure made a little squeaking noise and squirmed. Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on mate, this is no time to be shy."  
  
The figure squared its shoulders and swung its legs over the side of the bench similar to Jack's own that it had been curled up on. "Who are you?" the person demanded in a low voice.  
  
"Captain Jack Sparrow at yer service," Jack quipped, releasing the bars with one hand to tip his hat to the other captive. When he did not feel the familiar piece of sturdy felt perched atop his bandana, he frowned and sighed. "Bloody 'ell!" he yelled in frustration.  
  
"What did you say?" the captive demanded roughly. "Are you threatening me? He's threatening me! Don't let him hurt me!" The voice rose into a near hysterical shriek and Jack fought the urge to cover his ears, and he gritted his teeth.  
  
Jack tried to shush the other prisoner with the annoying high-pitched voice. "I'm not threatening ye," he said quickly. "Those bastards took me hat. Everyone's always takin' me hat."  
  
The other person gave him a funny look, or Jack imagined that the person would. He couldn't exactly see in the light. "You're daft," the person said, putting a hand on its hip.  
  
Wait a blasted minute-Jack had seen that gesture before used only by one type of person. "Yer a woman!" he blurted out.  
  
The person came closer into the light and Jack could see that it was indeed a woman looking at him with frightened and confused eyes green eyes. Her dark hair was disheveled and the remains of her gown were tattered and damp. "Aye, nice of you to be noticing," she told him, eyes narrowed in curiosity.  
  
"What are ye doing here?" Jack asked conversationally, leaning into the bars, feeling some of his strength not holding out.  
  
She hesitated, and Jack knew he would not be hearing the whole truth "I had to get out of London. I hid on the first ship I came across, which of all the luck happened to be this one. They caught me a few days out on the journey and I've been imprisoned on this ship ever since. It has to be nearing two weeks," she told him reluctantly.  
  
"Yeh've been below here for two weeks?" Jack asked incredulously.  
  
"No, sometimes the captain lets me stay in his cabin or stay topside for a few days, but I'm afraid I've made him dreadfully angry when I refused him. He chased me down here and I locked myself in sometime yesterday."  
  
Jack blinked. He had no respect for any man who tried to force himself upon any woman and Anamaria's story and this woman's doubled his distain. "I'm sorry to hear that, lass."  
  
She tossed her head. "It can't be helped."  
  
Jack's head lolled to the side. "What's yer name?"  
  
"Eve," She watched his swaying movements with curious eyes. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Jack sighed. "It's a mistake. They're looking for a woman, Anamaria. She's my-" the words stuck in Jack's mouth. He was back to that question again. What exactly was Ana to him? "My first mate," he finished lamely. "There's a bounty after her cause she's a runaway slave."  
  
Eve looked at him as though she did not believe him, "Your first mate?"  
  
"Aye, and best friend," Jack admitted. At Eve's pointed look he shifted uncomfortably,  
  
"A little more than a best friend," he confessed finally. Eve looked strangely triumphant and she smiled at him a little.  
  
With his spinning head, Jack decided that he'd best sit and sank down on the unforgiving bench awkwardly, winching as his tattered clothing rubbed against the welts. Eve resumed her position curled up on her own bench. Jack blew on his hands halfheartedly and clunked his head back against the cold planks of the ships walls. Jack heard the door topside let out a large clang and heavy footsteps down the stairs. He straightened his spine.  
  
Evans and another man, the burly guard again, came into view. "Ah, so you're finally awake," Evans commented pleasantly, "How are you feeling?" Jack looked at him stony-eyed and made no response. Evans turned his attention to Eve. "And you m'dear? How are you on this wonderful day?"  
  
Eve curled herself tighter in a ball and glared at him through her wavy chestnut hair.  
  
"Ready for round two, Sparrow?" Evans asked, his eyes hardening and expression turning less than pleasant.  
  
Jack cocked his head and narrowed his eyes as they regained a little of their mischievous spark. "Or ye could just give up."  
  
Evans growled and unlocked the door and roughly grabbed Jack around the arm, hauling him up towards daylight.  
  
Blind in the sudden brightness, Jack winced as the burly guard lashed out with his unoriginal wooden club catching him across the shoulders and Jack stumbled to his knees. He gritted his teeth and climbed precariously to his feet. They would not see him on his knees. Ana always understood that kind of pride that he possessed and never challenged it. Ana. The club swung out again, grazing the edge of his stomach.  
  
He wouldn't let these bastards get Ana. She didn't deserve this kind of punishment, not with everything that had already happened to her. Ana.  
  
Evans' foot swung out of nowhere and nailed him square in the ribs. His breath left Jack and he gasped for air, clutching the ships railing. They were moving pretty fast, he realized for no apparent reason.  
  
"Where's the whore, Sparrow?" Evans's voice reverberated unpleasantly in Jack's head. Jack shook his head. Ana wasn't a whore, he argued silently. She would tear this man apart if she ever heard him.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw a fist lash out and Jack's own hand, acting on impulse along shot out to grab the man's first. It was the burly guard. The guard grimaced and tried to throw himself at the pirate captain. Jack went down on one knee and awkwardly and painfully flipped the man over his back. The man screamed horribly and went over the side of the boat, disappearing in its wake.  
  
Jack attempted to straighten himself up and he saw Evans advancing on him holding the lost burly guard's club. Jack ignored the million bees stinging at his back and wiped a little blood from the corner of his mouth and threw his hands open. "Mate, when are ye going to get it through yer thick skull that I won't tell ye nothing."  
  
Evans let out a calculating sigh as he inspected the man before him. Sparrow was standing precariously straight but in obvious pain. Evans also saw the steel in the man's eye and knew he would get nothing out of him unless he provided certain-incentive.  
  
Evans motioned a sailor forward, who drew his sword and advanced on Jack. With the tip resting mere inches from Jack's neck, Jack allowed the sailor to move him back down into the hold where the dark, wet prison was located.  
  
Jack was led over to an elevated table with heavy iron shackles located at the head and the feet. The bloodstains ingrained in the smooth wood were not reassuring. He hesitated, and only climbed on the table and lay down due to a particularly vicious poke of the sword.  
  
Jack's wrists and ankles were secured in the shackles. Evans's leering face loomed over Jack's own. Jack's eyes held the steel of a thousand swords and he spat in the other man's face. Evans' features twisted into one of sadistic disgust and he grinned nastily at the man lying helplessly below him. Putting his face close to the pirate's ear he hissed something that caused Jack's muscles to tighten with fear.  
  
"Let's see just how much it takes to break this Sparrow's wings."  
  
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Despite what you may be thinking, I'm most definitely NOT turning this into a Ana/Norrington and Jack/OC fic!! Trust me on this one! Does anyone see where I'm going with this? You like? Maybe? No? 


	10. Getting Closer

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Chapter 10: Getting Close  
  
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Day 10, late afternoon.  
  
Anamaria sat bolt upright from where she had been curled up above deck as she heard a loud shout. Gibbs had insisted she take a break from steering. She put a hand to her head and tried to still her heart as she unsteadily rose to her feet. Ana blinked against the bright Caribbean sunlight, feeling its warmth filter through her light shirt and reflect off her hair. She made her way to the helm, noting that the Dauntless was following the Pearl off the starboard side, and approached where Gibbs was standing, staring at something off the port side.  
  
The dark-skinned woman shaded her eyes and stood beside him, following his gaze. It was a ship. She glanced at the Dauntless and saw Norrington, er, James, standing on deck peering through his spyglass. Ana reached into her sash and pulled out her own spyglass. She inspected the ship through it. It appeared to be of similar build to the Incorrigible, and there were near Wittenburg-  
  
Ana noticed James waving his arms and motioning the Pearl to stop and lash up next to the Dauntless. She tapped Gibbs on the shoulder and motioned to him to do as the Commodore wanted. "But Ms. Ana-" Gibbs started. Ana knew what he meant. They could be wasting precious time, but she also knew that James also had valuable information on this other ship.  
  
She shook her head firmly. "Gibbs, I know. But we need their help,"  
  
Gibbs reluctantly obliged, and the two ships pulled into a small cove so they were invisible to the distant ship. James ordered several of his shoulders to go atop the tall rock outcropping shielding them from view and make sure that the ship on the horizon did not disappear. Confident that things were in order, he motioned Anamaria and Gibbs aboard the Dauntless.  
  
Anamaria, Gibbs, James, Elizabeth, Will, and several other redcoats gathered inside the Commodore's chambers. On the table, James smoothed out a large diagram. Looking at it curiously, Ana realized with a gasp that they were looking at a drawing of the Incorrigible. Her eyes inspected it carefully, expression changing to horror as she took it in. Ana clapped a hand over her mouth and Gibbs could see her hands begin to tremble. He put his hand on her back in comfort. Jack would want that. Ana raised wide eyes to stare at James. "This is a slave ship," she whispered.  
  
He nodded reluctantly. Ana looked ready to throw something, anything that was in grasp. "Yer telling me that Jack's prisoner in some slave ship equipped with God himself knows what kind of awful devices and we're just sitting here doin' nothing!" Ana yelled.  
  
Elizabeth looked perturbed. "Anamaria, please calm down. I'm sure James knows what he's doing."  
  
Ana turned her dark eyes filled with anger and hidden fear towards the other girl. "This is out of yer league, Elizabeth," she said dangerously. "And I'm beginnin' to think it's out of his as well," she jerked her thumb towards James.  
  
Elizabeth blinked several times and Will tried to take her hand. Elizabeth shoved him off. She marched across the room and got right in Ana's face. Will winced; his fiancé did not know what she was getting into.  
  
"I think you need to back off and stop being so bloody stubborn about this whole thing! Has it ever occurred to you that we're trying to help? But no, you have to be a martyr and take the whole thing like it's your destiny or something of the sort to protect your beloved captain--"  
  
Elizabeth was broke off as the soft crack of flesh on flesh sounded through the room. Ana could take it no longer and seethed as Elizabeth clutched her cheek. Will was standing beside his fiancé in a moment, but Ana blocked him away.  
  
"Maybe," the pirate woman said very softly and menacingly, "because that is what I'm meant to do."  
  
Ana lowered her arm that was fending Will off. He realized as he inspected Elizabeth's cheek that the other woman had not hit her hard and there would not even be a mark. Will backed off. Elizabeth stared at the dark-skinned woman, mouth agape.  
  
"I wouldn't talk about things deeper than ye don't know or understand," Ana told Elizabeth, her anger rising with each word. "Ye don't know what they're doin' to Jack while we're sitting here discussing the weather. Ye can't know why I do what I do, and ye can't bloody understand how I feel!" Her hands were trembling with emotion and Anamaria spun on her heel and shoved her way out of the cabin, shrugging Gibbs' hands off of her.  
  
Elizabeth, James, and the several redcoats stared after her in obvious shock. Will looked at the woman with a new respect as he held Elizabeth close to him. Gibbs looked after her knowingly. At that point, Will made up his mind. "Elizabeth," he whispered, "Are you alright?"  
  
She nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Good," he replied, smoothing some hair out of her face, "I'm going to talk to her. Stay here and help us get Jack back." Elizabeth looked at him with wide, curious eyes, but he squeezed her hand reassuringly and slipped out of the cabin.  
  
Anamaria sat on the wide railing of the Dauntless, feet dangling over the cerulean blue water as she watched the fading sunbeams play off the waves. Her anger had faded mostly, blown away by the salty sea winds and now she was left with the fear that had been hidden by it. Fear of her past, fear of what these men had done to Jack, and fear of what they would encounter.  
  
She now somewhat regretted what she had done to Elizabeth. Ana sighed, it was too late now.  
  
She felt someone's presence behind her and whipped her head around, baring her teeth at the intruder. Will.  
  
Ana turned her face back up towards the fading sun's strength, ignoring him. He cautiously climbed up on the railing beside her. They sat in silence for a few moments. Ana finally looked at him through narrowed eyes, "If yer going to tell me what a bloody fool I am-" she started warily.  
  
"I'm not," Will cut in. "But you should know that they are only trying to help," he paused thoughtfully. "Although I think you have every right to be angry." Ana didn't reply. Will hesitated, then blurted out, "If it were Elizabeth in there I'm sure I would be acting much worse than you have."  
  
At this, Ana sent him a wry grin. "Ah, but it has been her in there," she reminded him.  
  
"True," Will agreed. He heaved a sigh, "But I am getting impatient myself. With all this planning, who knows what could be happening."  
  
Ana shuddered; she'd rather not think about it. Instead she looked at the young man across from her, who had been so rash and well, stupid when she had first met him. "Yeh've grown up, Will," she told him, "Jack can't call ye a whelp anymore."  
  
Will smiled a bit. Finally somewhat knowing the truth about his father and being engaged to Elizabeth in such a short time had changed him, he knew. The pirate woman next to him was different too, and though her shoulders were tense and her features were hardened with uncertainty and emotion, she was softer than the fierce pirate who'd deservedly slapped Jack twice that day in Tortuga.  
  
Will met her eyes. "Now let's go get Jack," he proposed his features serious once more. Ana hopped off the railing and the two strode purposefully into the Commodore's office.  
  
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Day 10: Nightfall.  
  
Jack Sparrow lay in his cell, unable to move. Every inch of his body was filled with a dull throbbing pain, one part no more painful than the next. He had slept fitfully through the night. After Evans eventually finished his "craft" and realized that Jack wasn't feeling any more pain. Several crewmembers had all but carried Jack to the cell.  
  
Evans' stared after him, thoughts churning in his head. They would give him at least a day to heal, to realize the pain and if they were to re-open those wounds. Yes, they would give Jack Sparrow time to semi-heal before starting the game up again. He'd crack eventually. They all did.  
  
Jack could not sleep any more. He let the events of the prior day emotionlessly run through his head. They had cut him some, whipped him some more, then poured seawater over him while questioning him constantly. He hadn't told them anything. He couldn't. He could still taste the blood in his mouth from biting his tongue as to not cry out.  
  
"Mr. Sparrow?" Eve called out hesitantly.  
  
It took all of Jack's energy to lift his head slightly and reply, "Captain, lass. It's Captain Sparrow."  
  
"Captain," she amended quickly, "Are you alright?"  
  
"Aye," he said thickly, head lolling back onto the bench once more, "Now if I only had me some rum-"  
  
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AN: I know, it was kind of bashing Elizabeth. Whoops. Sorry! Don't hurt me! Look, be nice to me, Orlando fans! See, isn't he a nice guy too, watching out for Ana when Jack isn't there?  
  
It's short, I know. Almost pointless, I know. I'm sorry! But I'm building up, see? Isn't the suspense just killing you? 


	11. Confrontations

AN: okay, hope it isn't too confusing; the points of view/locations of the characters might switch around kind of quickly- And I'm getting bored with just thanking my reviewers so- *gets up and hugs computer then gives it a big kiss* Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: The only things that are mine are the plot, the bad guy, and the new girl. Everything else *sob* is Disney's.  
  
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Chapter 11: Confrontations  
  
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Day 10: Nightfall.  
  
It was quiet. The gentle ocean waves made nearly no sound and none of the mournful cries by tropical birds were distinguishable. The oars of Ana's rowboat seemed unnaturally loud as she and the ten men accompanying her crew rowed alongside the boat that they had viewed earlier as just a smudge in the distance. The Pearl and the Dauntless had gotten as close as possible to the ship without being noticed, but it wasn't possible to see the ship's name or any identifying marks. Ana and several redcoats and crewmembers from the Pearl were on a mission to identify if this was the ship that held Captain Jack Sparrow, the Scrounge of the Seven Seas.  
  
The pirate woman's doubts crept back as they approached the dark ship looming forebodingly over them, and those little voices in her head whispered mercilessly that it was quite possible that Jack wasn't on the ship and that they had locked him away somewhere on land, given him up to be hung, or even killed him themselves.  
  
Ana lit the small lantern she was holding as they approached the stern of the ship. The redcoats had their rifles ready and aimed upwards in case someone shouted a warning shot and they were spotted. She held the lantern aloft against the script that clearly indicated the ship's name. There in blood red letters it was: The Incorrigible.  
  
A murmur went up from the crew of Anamaria's boat. She silenced them with a threatening look. Ana pointed back towards the rocky cliff behind which the Dauntless and the Pearl had made anchor and very slowly and cautiously, the rowboat's progress brought Anamaria farther from Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
James caught Ana's arm to steady her as she was one of the first crewmembers to climb aboard the Dauntless from the teeny boat. "That's it," she told him in a hushed whisper that didn't quite conceal her impatience. "That's our ship."  
  
Elizabeth let out a little gasp as she realized what was happening. "We're going to attack tonight? Just like that?" she asked Will in a barely audible whisper. Will nodded with a grim smile.  
  
Tonight they were going to reunited Jack Sparrow with his Pearl.  
  
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Eve shifted uncomfortably in her cell. She hadn't eaten in several days and her stomach protested loudly. Eve frowned to herself. She should not be the one who was complaining. The poor man, er, Captain, had been beaten and tortured in God himself knew what way. She knew that Captain Sparrow was awake; she'd heard him sigh and shift only moments before. Even in the dim light she could see parts of his shirt soaked through with blood and how he winced anytime he moved. She clenched her fists. What awful men would do this to a defenseless man?  
  
In her twenty-four years, Eve had been far from sheltered throughout her life; as a barmaid she'd seen her fair share of brawls and horrid people, but the crew on this ship was downright ruthless. She wasn't a simpleton; she also knew that this was a slave ship. She also knew that too many innocent men and women and even children had been claimed by this ship in this very hold. Eve shuddered; those poor, poor innocents.  
  
The woman rose and peered through a knothole in the wood into the black abyss. She heard a faint 'popping' noise in the distance and frowned, her brow furrowing. "What was that?" she whispered, more to herself than anyone. Somewhere above and to her right she heard a loud explosion and crash as if something had fallen.  
  
Jack Sparrow's eyes flew open. He ignored the shooting pains throughout his body and sat bolt upright, grabbing the iron bars to support himself as he hauled himself to his feet. His vision spun and his head pounded, but with wide, clear eyes, he met the woman's puzzled gaze through the dim light. "I know those guns," he drawled thoughtfully.  
  
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James stood at his post, the diagram of the Incorrigible lying open on a table in front of him. Anamaria, Gibbs, and Will had protested the use of the cannons, but eventually James had been able to convince the concerned friends that it was the best way to weaken the other ship's defenses before sending people in. Besides, he had reassured the still doubtful woman, with the diagram of the Incorrigible, they knew what region of the ship Jack was being kept in and with the precision of both the Dauntless' and Pearl's guns could attack in such a way that there was almost no chance of harming Jack.  
  
He looked down along the Dautnless' deck and saw clearly Anamaria standing there giving orders on where to fire, her face expressionless. James shook his head. If-no, when Jack was returned to his ship, he was going to have to tell a certain pirate captain how lucky he was. After several minutes of firing and progressively creeping closer to the vessel, now filled with shouts and the sounds of destruction, the Dauntless and Pearl had surrounded the Incorrigible from two sides and were less than ten yards away.  
  
"All those designated, prepare to board!" James heard Anamaria call out sharply. He motioned to his quartermaster, who echoed the same reply. Grappling hooks swung out of the darkness to firmly hook on to the ship under attack.  
  
They had argued this earlier and it was finally decided that Gibbs, Elizabeth, and James himself would stay aboard the ships and control the snipers and attacks from there while Anamaria, Will, half the crew of the Pearl and half the troops of the Dauntless would board the Incorrigible to search for Jack and subdue most of the crew. Somewhat later, James and several of his men would board the Incorrigible to hopefully arrest Evans. Anamaria had warned him that the man might be impossible to subdue peacefully and it was more than likely he would have to be wounded or knocked unconscious to stop him.  
  
Anamaria grasped her rope tightly, her pistol tightly in hand, another in her belt, and sword strapped securely to her waist. She could already see bodies strewn about the Incorrigible. She had memorized the diagram of the Incorrigible's interior and with the assumption that Jack had been locked somewhere in the ship's all-out prison, had a pretty good idea of where she was headed. "Go!" She shouted. All at once, the boarding crew swung out and landed aboard the Incorrigible, sniper's aboard the Dauntless and Pearl protecting their entrance.  
  
Ana landed on deck with a thud. She straightened up, a man's rushing cry to her right catching her immediate attention. She aimed and shot him in the leg. The man went down. Ana motioned to her team of three redcoats who James had insisted accompany her on her mission to find Jack. She glanced around as she approached the stairs, and saw Will fighting off two large burly men.  
  
"Move!" she yelled at the three redcoats, and they scattered. She went down on one knee, aimed, and took out one of Will's assailants with a shot to the head. Will glanced up, surprised, as he easily fought off the other one. Ana grinned at him and saluted.  
  
She ran down the stairs, pausing to lift a lantern off the wall as she passed it. The redcoats stomped along behind her and she passed through the large iron door with a resounding clang.  
  
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Eve stared at Jack after he made his statement. She narrowed her eyes, "What do you m-" the man sagged against the bars and stumbled backwards to collapse against the bench. "Captain Sparrow!" she exclaimed. "Captain Sparrow, are you alright?"  
  
Jack didn't answer her. He felt his consciousness slipping somewhat, due to blood loss, hunger, dehydration, or perhaps even relief that his ship was coming after him, he didn't know. Jack fought to keep his eyes open. The Pearl, she was coming.  
  
No, he argued with himself. Damaged as she had been not too long ago, the Pearl couldn't face a ruthless crew like this on such a heavily armed ship. Not without help, they couldn't. Jack hoped that Gibbs had found help. His mind wandered and he found himself floating between consciousness and unconsciousness, blocking out the lass's concerned voice from across the way. He lost track of time. Jack wondered if Ana was with Gibbs. He hoped Gibbs hadn't been stupid enough to bring the girl that they were hunting straight to these bastards.  
  
He heard the clang of the metal door above him. Jack's body jerked somewhat and he became slightly more conscious. Those men wouldn't break him. He wouldn't let himself betray Ana. Those bastards wouldn't get-  
  
"Jack Sparrow?"  
  
Jack jerked his head up at the voice, trying to raise himself up to a sitting position. He somewhat succeeded, propping himself up against the wall.  
  
"Anamaria?" he asked, confused. He caught sight of the three men behind her and his expression turned murderous. "Oh, bloody hell, Ana," he said furiously, "Did ye let them get ye, too?"  
  
Ana's concerned and frightened face swam before his eyes as it appeared on the other side of those blasted bars. He almost swore he saw her eyes fill up with tears. "No, Jack. We're getting ye out of here." She said sharply. Ana looked around impatiently for the keys and, unable to find them, raised her pistol and shot the lock open.  
  
Anamaria spun around, pistol raised when she heard a scream from another cell. A young woman was cowering in a corner, her face streaked with tears. "Shut-up," Ana told her harshly, "Or do ye want the whole bloody crew knowing we're here?"  
  
Ana motioned to one of the redcoats to release the woman, and then turned around and ignored her, turning her focus to Jack. She set down her light on a dry patch of floor and pushed open the door to his cell. Ana's joy at finding him here and alive was short lived. Her eyes roamed his body, taking in the torn and bloodstained shirt and britches and the raw flesh on his wrists.  
  
Ana fell to her knees in the shallow water beside the bench and put out a trembling hand, stopping just before she reached his pale face. Jack seized it, linking her fingers in his and pressed the back of her palm against his cracked lips then rubbed it gently across his cheek, closing his eyes and heaving a sigh.  
  
Ana choked back a sob. Those bastards, what had they done to him? She had never seen a Jack Sparrow like this before. "Jack," she whispered. She opened her mouth but the words stuck in her throat. Jack opened his eyes and watched the salty pearls travel down her cheeks. Jack used his free hand to force himself up into a straight sitting position, every part of his body with the exception of his heart screaming in protest. Ana gently put her free hand on the back of his shoulder to steady him, praying that she was not hurting him more.  
  
Jack gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. After a moment the word stopped its crazy spin and he could see Anamaria's eyes, dark with anger and emotion clearly. He pushed her damp hair back from her face with their joined hands and leaned down clumsily to press his lips against hers.  
  
He felt Ana trembling and tasted the salt of her tears on her lips. He kissed her forehead and muttered thickly, "I'm not dreamin' of ye again, am I Ana?"  
  
Ana shook her head slowly, biting her lip. She took their joined hands and pressed the back of his palm against her heartbeat so he could feel it. Jack let out a tired but relieved sigh and bowed his head, burying it in her shoulder. He breathed in her hair and she could a few drops of moisture dampen her shirt. "No," she whispered.  
  
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AN: -- sob. I know, it's not a funny one. Yes, I know you all must be wondering curiously, what has happened to our other heroes and heroine back topside and aboard the Pearl and Dauntless? And what happens to Ana and Jack? And that girl, Eve, what does she have to do with anything?  
  
Ahh, All the questions that must be answered! Patience, my dear Watson. 


	12. More Confrontations

AN: What, did you think this rescue was going to be easy? *laughs wickedly*  
  
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Chapter 12: More Confrontations  
  
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Continued from Chapter 11:  
  
He felt Ana trembling and tasted the salt of her tears on her lips. He kissed her forehead and muttered thickly, "I'm not dreamin' of ye again, am I Ana?"  
  
Ana shook her head slowly, biting her lip. She took their joined hands and pressed the back of his palm against her heartbeat so he could feel it. Jack let out a tired but relieved sigh and bowed his head, burying it in her shoulder. He breathed in her hair and she could a few drops of moisture dampen her shirt. "No," she whispered.  
  
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And from the shadows, hidden in darkness, a figure watched them menacingly, lips curling into a feral grin. "Gotcha," he whispered to himself.  
  
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Will was fighting: thrust, block, lunge, block, and stab. Then: block, block, punch, jab, shove. A man wearing filthy tattered britches and a horrible smile showing his many missing teeth advanced on Will with his sword stained red with blood. Will frowned thoughtfully and flicked his sword up into ready position. He had been sliced lightly across the shoulder, not deep enough to cause serious damage. Will's eye was caught by the familiarity of the hat the man was wearing. His eyes widened.  
  
Will blocked the man twice, holding the man's weight off by the two crossed swords. He lashed out with his foot and knocked the man's legs out from under him. The man fell flat on his back with a groan, blacking out. The hat, Jack's hat, fell to the deck beside him and Will scooped it up with an ironic grin and shoved it on his own head. "Thanks, mate," he told him and moved on to his next target.  
  
Anamaria and her guards pushed open the door to topside, Anamaria and one other redcoat supporting Jack from both sides. The girl with the brown hair was following behind them, looking confused and rather unsteady. Ana's eyes searched the deck. She had to find a way to get Jack and this girl off the ship. The girl was the easy one. Anamaria handed her half of Jack Sparrow to the second recoat, motioning them to stay where they were and for the third to keep a lookout.  
  
Ana grabbed the girl's arm and drew her over to the port side railing. She handed the girl a rope connected back to the Dauntless and helped the frightened girl with wild eyes up onto the railing. Ana wrapped the rope around her leg once to secure her to it. "Hold on tight," she told the girl, who squeezed her eyes shut and nodded quickly.  
  
"James!" Ana yelled across the small stretch of water between the two boats. He looked up from where he had been aiming a rifle. "Catch!"  
  
James looked confused, but he dropped his weapon and stood up straight. Ana shoved the girl off with all her might and she swung, letting out a frightened shriek across the way into the confused commodore's arms. James looked down at her, trembling as she was and a frown furrowed his brow. "Welcome aboard the Dauntless, miss," he told her formally.  
  
She blinked at him through clear, wide eyes. "Thank you, sir. And what, pray tell, is going on?" she asked, sounding dangerously close to tears.  
  
"We're here to rescue Captain Sparrow and give those men with him exactly what they deserve," James replied quickly with a wry smile. He seized the woman's arm as a fresh volley of gunshiots sprayed around them. He opened the door to his cabin. "I must insist you stay here, miss. For your own protection."  
  
The girl bit her lip and nodded. "Thank you, sir."  
  
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Anamaria spun back around to where she had left Jack. She started back towards him, darting her way around fighting bodies when the warning bells started to ring in her head. Evans! Where the bloody hell was he? Ana looked around her quickly, her eye catching on Jack himself, standing on his own and with some sword, heavens knew where he had found it, was walking precariously up to a particularly harsh knot of fighting.  
  
Ana stepped forward, intent on stopping him only to be frozen by the feeling of cold metal against her nape. A rough arm slid around her waist and Ana winced as the gun barrel was pressed more harshly into her skin. She couldn't reach for her pistol without the person seeing. Ana heard a muffled crunch and the pressure was released.  
  
She whirled around, pulling and cocking her pistol, to find herself face to face with a hardened-looking Elizabeth Swann dressed in men's clothing clutching a rifle butt. Ana only spared her a glance as she looked around for her assailant. It was Evans himself, and there he was, reaching for his fallen pistol. Ana stepped forward and aimed her gun-  
  
When it was grabbed out of her hands. Ana found herself facing a mean- looking crewmember that grabbed her arms and twisted them around her back.  
  
Elizabeth almost screamed, had it not been for Evans, who sprang to his feet with quickness that had Elizabeth dizzy. He had a tight grip on her hair and a pistol in her face before she could defend herself.  
  
Anamaria spoke to the man in a soothing voice, throwing a concerned glance at Elizabeth. "She isn't what you want. Leave her alone."  
  
Evans' arm drew back and he caught Elizabeth across the back of the neck with the butt of his gun. Anamaria jumped in horror, however there was no blood. Evans moved to join his crewman holding her. "Launch the boat," he ordered, taking a firm grip on Ana's arm and relieving her of her other pistol and sword.  
  
He hauled Ana across the deck. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack fighting off a man holding two swords and began to struggle violently against the Evans' grip. "Jack!" she yelled. Oh, dear lord, don't let him be killed. Someone please help him.  
  
Evans turned back to her, and with a swipe of his hand the pistol met the back of Ana's head with a sickening crunch. He tossed her over his shoulder and threw her into the small boat hanging over the side of the ship.  
  
Jack's strength flew back to him as he heard her shout and he rammed his sword through the man's shoulder and knocked the swords out of his hands easily and he spun around, the man all but forgotten. "Anamaria!" he called. Where was she? His eyes searched the deck, stopping on the mass of raven hair visible just over the line of the railing. He took a step forward and the thing she was in lowered, falling out of his view. "Ana!" he yelled again, running towards her. Not a good idea, his body protested. His vision swam and he stumbled and tripped over a rope lying on the deck. He found himself flat on his face, unable to move. Everything went black.  
  
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Will heard Jack's cry over the din of the battle and caught sight of the man running across the deck. Frowning, Will watched as the pirate captain stumbled and fell. He didn't move. "Come on, Jack," Will urged, fighting his way through the throngs of conflict, "Get up." Will reached Jack's side and put his hand on the man's shoulder. Jack still didn't move, and the blacksmith realized that his back was slick with blood. Will shook him harder. "Jack, you have to help me."  
  
Jack stirred and his eyelids fluttered. "Will m'boy" he slurred, "What'd they do w'Ana?"  
  
"That's right, Jack, it's Will. Come on, we have to get you out of here." Will told him, ignoring his statement about Ana although a pang of panic went through him. Will pulled the pirate into a sitting position. Jack's eyes narrowed in pain and dizziness and his hand went to his head. Will hauled him to his feet, nearly all of Jack's now standing weight being supported across his shoulders. Will and the groggy pirate moved over to the side of the Incorrigible where the Pearl was floating.  
  
"Gibbs!" Will shouted, waving his arm that was not supporting the captain. "Gibbs, put down a plank!"  
  
Gibbs hollered orders at the crew, and they carefully put in place a rather narrow plank connecting the two ships. Will looked at it uneasily; how were they going to get Jack across?  
  
Gibbs solved that problem for him. Gibbs crossed the plank easily and took Jack's other side. "Now," Gibbs told Will confidently, "I says, we gonna shuffle across 'ere sideways, easy does it, aye?"  
  
The two men carefully mounted the plank, and with the captain supported between them, (currently mumbling incoherently) shuffled across the plank. Gibbs hopped down the little way to the Pearl's deck and carefully caught Jack as he semi-fell onto the deck. The two men brought him to his cabin and lay the man down on his bunk, knocking the hat that Will was wearing off in the process. He seemed to be floundering between consciousness and unconsciousness.  
  
Gibbs looked at his captain with concerned eyes. "Is this 'ow ye found 'im?" Will nodded. "Has 'e said anythin' he questioned, carefully removing the man's boots and cutting off his blood and dirt stained shirt.  
  
Will hesitated. "He asked about Anamaria," he said quietly.  
  
Jack's eyes shot open. "Ana! They took my Ana! Gotta-" he tried to sit up and Gibbs roughly pushed him back down. "Gotta," he tried again, "save her." He managed to say, finally collapsing back down on the bed as both Gibbs and Will all but sat on him to keep him down.  
  
"Yer in no condition t'go anywhere, Capt'n" Gibbs told him gruffly.  
  
The captain looked at him through wide, panicked eyes and Will spoke up, "I'll look for her, Jack. You just rest" He said quietly.  
  
Jack relaxed against the pillows and squeezed his eyes closed. "Thanks m'boy," he muttered. "I can't bloody think with this pounding in me head," he sighed and his features went slack.  
  
Gibbs took his pulse and nodded. "Strong and steady, 'ee'll be alright, if 'e can rest and the infection doesn't set in."  
  
Will nodded, leaving the pirates and striding back across to the Incorrigible to search for Anamaria.  
  
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"We're going aboard," James announced to his quartermaster and lieutenant. The three men swung aboard the Incorrigible, where the fighting had seemed to have decreased drastically. He motioned to his men to bind the opposing crew's hands that were injured and no longer resisting.  
  
James picked his way across the shambled deck, pieces of broken wood and canon holes lining the ship with bloody bodies of the wounded and dead strewn about. James glanced around, looking for Evans or anyone he recognized, namely Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, or Anamaria.  
  
A man jumped down on him from above with a growl. James was flattened to the deck, his sword skittering out of reach. James knocked the man's gun out of his hand, slugging him on the side of the jaw. The commodore pushed the groggy assailant off of him, pulling one of several pairs of irons off his belt and securing the man's hands. James straightened up, touching his cheek gingerly, and was slightly surprised when his hand came away stained in blood.  
  
James stopped beside a fallen soldier in a red coat and white britches and rolled the lad over. His eyes widened with horror. "Elizabeth," he murmured, relieved to see that she was still breathing. He felt the back of her neck and felt the stickiness of clotted blood in her hair. James lifted her up in his arms and handed her off to his lieutenant. "Take her to the Pearl right away," he told the man, seeing that it was closest.  
  
James glanced around him once more and counted only three more members of the Incorrigible fighting back. "Gentlemen," he called out loudly, holding up his cocked pistol, "You will not win this battle. Surrender now and your lives will be spared."  
  
There was a pregnant pause, and several swords and pistols thudded to the deck. James wiped off the small smile that had appeared on his face, as the British troops celebrated, replacing itself with an expression of concern.  
  
Will Turner came running up to him, breathing hard and shirt stained with blood. The Commodore observed him with worry, "Good God, are you alright?"  
  
The boy glanced downwards, as if noticing the blood was there for the first time. "Yes I'm fine, it isn't my blood," he said distractedly. "Jack Sparrow has been taken aboard the Pearl, sir. He's injured but he'll most likely pull through."  
  
The Commodore breathed a sigh of relief, but his frown deepened with the boy's next anxious words.  
  
"Commodore, have you seen Anamaria?"  
  
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AN: Thanks a lot everyone for their reviews. I know Jack's rescue might have seemed a little too easy, but the fat lady hasn't sung yet, mes amis. 


	13. Facing Truth

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Chapter 13: Facing Truth  
  
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Commodore James Norrington slumped against the railing of the Black Pearl, his weary hands removing his three-cornered hat and dropping it on the deck. The Incorrigible had been secured and all surviving crewmembers locked in the Dauntless' brig, and then scoured from top to bottom in search of Evans, a missing crewmember, and Anamaria. Between the Dauntless and the Pearl, they had suffered twelve casualties, a missing pirate woman, and two currently unconscious traumas: Elizabeth Swann and Captain Jack Sparrow. As soon as he had been informed of his fiancé's condition, Will Turner had set up vigil beside her bed in Jack Sparrow's cabin, the Captain still resting or passed out several feet away.  
  
James rubbed at the frown lines on his forehead with his fist. The only hint to where Evans and Anamaria, assuming that she was with him and not thrown overboard, (the Commodore shuddered, just imagining the worst) was that one of the longboats had been launched and was currently missing. However, they couldn't look for the missing ship until daybreak, which was still over several hours away.  
  
He was interrupted by a small cough behind him. He turned around to see the girl that had been rescued from the Incorrigible along with Jack Sparrow standing there. "Miss," he said in greeting, managing a small bow.  
  
The girl bent her head respectively, her eyes looking tired and face pale. "Sir," she asked quietly, "Has Captain Sparrow awakened yet?"  
  
"No," James said regretfully. "I was hoping he could give us a clue to the fate of Anamaria and Evans."  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "Anamaria is missing?"  
  
"Why, yes," James replied, looking at her curiously. "Did you know her?"  
  
"No," she said, "But the Captain spoke of her while we were locked in the brig. He said that the man Evans was after her for money. He's a ruthless man, Evans. You don't think he got her, do you, sir?"  
  
James tried to smile at her. "It's James, if you please. And I do not know what to think."  
  
She bowed her head at the new unfortunate prospect. "I'm Evelyn Thomas, but I go by Eve."  
  
James opened his mouth to reply, but they were cut off by Gibbs running up to the pair. "Miss Elizabeth and Jack be awake, sir. She wants to speak to yeh," the heavyset pirate panted, gesturing towards the cabin.  
  
James turned to look at his companion. "Would you care to join me, Eve?"  
  
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Elizabeth Swann's eyes opened experimentally. She became aware of a cool sensation on her forehead and someone's hand resting in her own. Elizabeth blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the cabin. She was in a cabin?  
  
Elizabeth gasped, her memory flooding back, "Anamaria!" She jerked forward in an attempt to sit up; she was stopped by a pair of strong arms pushing her gently back down and she struggled against them.  
  
"Shhh," a familiar deep voice whispered, the breath warm against her forehead "You're safe, Elizabeth."  
  
She looked up and met a pair of dark, deep eyes staring at her with concern and love. "Will!" she cried, attempting to throw her arms around his neck and not quite succeeding, "Will, oh my goodness, Evans! He was there and he had a gun and Anamaria tried to stop him, but then he-"  
  
Will's lips gently pressed over hers, cutting off her stream of thoughts as she desperately tried to explain him what had happened.  
  
Gibbs burst into the room, having heard Elizabeth's shout, the door hitting the wall with a loud bang. Gibbs' foot caught the corner of a chair pushed haphazardly across the room when the patients had been brought in, and he stumbled dangerously, banging into a large brass ornamental vase with a resounding clang. He lost his balance and thudded to the floor.  
  
Jack Sparrow jerked awake and sat straight up in bed, still half-dreaming, and struggled to open his eyes. "Stop blowing 'oles in my ship!" he yelled peevishly.  
  
Will and Elizabeth stared at him while Gibbs carefully picked himself up off the floor. "Jack?" Will asked finally.  
  
"Will?"  
  
"Miss Elizabeth!" Gibbs exclaimed, noticing she was awake.  
  
"Gibbs?" asked Jack.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Me hat!"  
  
Jack smiled happily, suddenly noticing it sitting at the foot of his bed where Will had placed it. The three in the room stared at him in amazement while he reached over and picked it up, shoving it onto his head. "What?" he asked rather crossly, "Evans stole me hat. Everyone's always stealin' me hat."  
  
Jack's expression faded and he squinted at the three, realizing with a pang whose presence was missing. He visibly drooped, saying weakly, "Ana isn't here, is she?" It was more of a statement than a question.  
  
After a long moment, Will shook his head.  
  
Jack took off his hat and stared at the boy with veiled dark eyes. "Is she- ?" He couldn't bring himself to say it.  
  
Will couldn't hold Jack's gaze. "We don't know," he finally confessed. "She and Evans are missing along with one of the longboats." Will watched Jack drop his beloved hat onto his lap as if the material had scalded him.  
  
He glanced ruefully at the boy, the emotion in his eyes carefully concealed. "Ana hated this hat. Said I cared about it more than any livin' person."  
  
"Jack-" Elizabeth started, rising from where she was sitting in bed, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head to kneel beside him. "Jack, you know that Evans was a greedy bastard who wanted the reward for her enough to risk almost everything. That bounty was for her alive," she reminded him gently.  
  
"Ana's a strong lass, Capt'n." Gibbs piped up.  
  
Jack put his hand to his head and frowned thoughtfully at Will. "Ye said a boat was missing?" At the blacksmith's agreement, Elizabeth saw a spark of light come back into the pirate's eyes. "Aye," he mused, "I saw him take her in one just 'afore I blacked out." Jack pushed back the covers that Gibbs had put him under, feeling every inch of his body throbbing in pain and attempting to ignore it.  
  
"Yer not goin' nowhere, Capt'n," Gibbs growled, pushing him back onto the bed.  
  
Jack immedietly tried to get up again, pushing Gibbs away and standing, swaying dangerously as his hand went to his head. "Goin'," he panted, "to rescue Ana."  
  
"I don't think you're ready for that quite yet," Elizabeth told him with a small smile as both Will and Gibbs seized his arms and sat him back on the bed. "You see?" she said to no one specifically, "She's got to be alive!" She turned to Gibbs, "Could you go fetch the Commodore? He'll be wanting to hear this."  
  
Jack blinked at her, expression mingling between disbelief and curiousity. He stuck his finger into his ear to mimic the action of cleaning it.  
  
"Ah, Commodore?"  
  
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AN -- Sorry, it was a wee bit shorter than I'd like, but I promise the next one will be longer! 


	14. Fears and Clues

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Chapter 14: Fears and Clues  
  
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Anamaria came back to consciousness recognizing the smell of the sea. She lay very still and did not open her eyes as she listened to the sounds around her. She became slowly aware of voices, harsh men's voices, and the sounds of water. She realized that she was also moving and felt cool wood against her cheek. Ana opened her eyes the tiniest crack; everything was dark around her. She squeezed her eyes shut again. Where was she?  
  
She heard a man's voice clearly somewhere above her say something sharply, and Ana was hit by a flash of panicked recognition within her. Evans! She felt her heart sink. She was with Evans, which must mean that Evans had taken her hostage and was returning her for the bounty that he was searching. Not good.  
  
Jack! Her mind screamed at her, what had happened to Jack? He had been there, on deck fighting someone. In his condition! Ana thought angrily. And Elizabeth, had she been hurt badly?  
  
The boat jerked to a stop on an unmoving surface and from experience, Ana's brain registered that they had come ashore.  
  
Something hard swung swung into Ana's ribs and, forgetting to keep the pretense of being unconscious, her eyes flew open and she groaned. "Well, well," Evans' nasty voice hissed in her ear, "Our little pirate princess is finally awake."  
  
Ana's eyes could only see his outline in the darkness. She growled at him, meaning to lash out and not able to, due to the harsh rope digging into her wrists. Evans chuckled at her, and stood up, grabbing the rope binding her wrists and pulling her off the boat and onto the sandy shore. Ana fought against him, beginning to shout into the night, digging her heels into the soft sand, knowing that wherever he was taking her was far worse than where she was now.  
  
Evans grunted at her, and motioned behind her and Ana suddenly realized there was another man with him, the one who had grabbed her aboard the Incorrigible. The man reached out and slipped a gag into her mouth. Ana continued to struggled against him and Evans let out a frustrated growl. He drew his hand back and caught her jawbone with his fist. Ana's eyes streamed with tears, and she was unable to struggle as he dragged her along the dark beach towards the jungle and what horrors, she did not know.  
  
______________________  
  
Day 11, Daybreak.  
  
Jack Sparrow teetered towards the Pearl's railing, his spyglass pressed against his eye as he scanned the shoreline and gripped the railing hard to steady himself. He felt a presence behind him and acknowledged it begrudgingly, not turning around and not caring who it was, "I'm not bloody going back to bed so ye can stop tryin,'" he muttered.  
  
"I must assure you it would be for the best, Captain Sparrow."  
  
Jack turned to face Commodore Norrington's tranquil countenance. Jack leaned heavily against the rail, cocking his head curiously at the man. "Why are ye here, mate? I heard the story earlier about gettin' Evans and the slave ship and that bit, and maybe it's a reason. But what are ye really doin' here?"  
  
Commodore Norrington shook his head. ""I have a duty to protect all the crown's subjects," he smiled slightly at the pale pirate captain, "And you, sir, and especially your lady are the crown's subjects." At the captain's pointed look, he went on. "I explained earlier that I detest slavery," he grinned somewhat ironically, "And I find Miss Anamaria's concern and emotion over your well-being to be most touching."  
  
Jack smiled wryly at him. "First mates are like that; the good ones, at least."  
  
"I wouldn't call it just a first mate's concern. You're a lucky man, Captain Sparrow, and I am most envious of you."  
  
Jack's expression was unreadable, "Envious of me, Commodore? Now I'm flattered."  
  
"Do call me James," he requested somewhat reluctantly and straightened up, touching his hand to his hat and squinting up at the sun growing higher in the sky. "I suppose I'd best rouse the sailors; we should be getting an early start." James tipped his hat to Jack politely and left the pirate captain standing there somewhat bewildered.  
  
"That's interesting," he murmured, his gold teeth glinting in the early morning sunlight in his first real grin in a while. Ana's concern and emotion? Were they discussing the same fiery pirate woman who usually wouldn't let a man so much as touch her? Thinking back on the events of the days, Jack let himself accept that it was possible that she could have similar feelings that he did. He removed the silver band he wore on his right hand and turned it over thoughtfully in his fingers, tracing the engraved "A" lightly.  
  
"That's very interesting," he whispered to the ocean, his gold teeth glinting in the early morning sunlight.  
  
______________________  
  
With Commodore Norrington's troops plus the Pearl's crew, they searched the entire shoreline carefully.  
  
"Jack! Commodore!" Will yelled after several minutes. Gibbs had forced the Captain to stay put in a chair and not search for himself in fear of aggravating his injuries or causing his slight fever to appear. Jack tried to get up, only to have Gibbs push him back down. Jack glared at his quartermaster and pouted at him, but did not make another attempt to rise, seeing the commodore was already looking at what the boy had found.  
  
It was a boat, shoved up onto the beach and almost hidden by several bushes. The commodore traced in the sand the way the boat had been pulled ashore and dragged to its location. James pointed at beside the boat several tracks leading away from it. There was one pair that was rough and appeared to have been pulled alongside another. Will traced them with his hand. "Anamaria," he whispered.  
  
Jack saw the look on Will's face and her name cross his lips and rose unsteadily, shoving Gibbs' hands away from him. He moved stiffly over to where the men stood, taking in the small wooden boat and the tracks in the sand. "They go into the jungle," he muttered.  
  
James and Will looked at him. Jack met each of their eyes seriously, tapping his head with his index finger, "I've used this path 'afore. It goes straight into Wittenburg center."  
  
"There's no way to intercept them," James mused thoughtfully, "So we'll have to go straight to the harbor and cut into the square from there."  
  
The pirate captain, the commodore, and the blacksmith looked at each other, an unspoken question lying between them: would they find Anamaria in time? In time for what, neither man knew exactly. And what would happen if they did find her?  
  
______________________  
  
"Bloody pirates," Jack grumbled, annoyed. His entire blasted crew had ganged up against him, Gibbs leadin' the lot of 'em, to force him back into bed and rest. Jack's head hit the pillow, and despite his protesting, he sighed in relief and closed his eyes as the throbbing pain in his head eased.  
  
Someone knocked at the door. Jack opened one eye, his expression betraying his annoyance at being interrupted. "Come in!" he yelled reluctantly, not moving from his position with his back to the door.  
  
Will came in wordlessly without bothering to shut the door. He sat in a straight-backed chair and put his face in his hands, and blurted out what he had been thinking since they had given the order to hasten to Wittenburg, "I don't have a good feeling about this, Jack. Too much can go wrong."  
  
Jack carefully rolled to his other side, wincing as each scabbed-over cut rubbed against the bandages and his coarse shirt. He regarded at the young man with wide, serious eyes, every hint of his usual smirk and good spirits nonexistent. The pirate tilted his head to the side in observation, "Is this what ye said when they were comin' to rescue me?"  
  
Will blinked, a frown puckering his forehead, "No," he said slowly.  
  
"Then I don't see no difference, mate," Jack told the boy, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.  
  
Will still looked rather puzzled. Jack sighed and carefully rolled back onto his back, finding that that was the most comfortable position and raised his hand above him to gesture lazily with it. "When I was caught, ye and everyone else on this bloody crew, led by Anamaria mind you, didn't know what those buggers were doin' to me and hastened to me rescue, aye?" The blacksmith nodded, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "The problem is, mate, I can imagine what they're doin' to Ana and now I'm the one who's hastenin' to her rescue, savvy?"  
  
"I understand that, but Jack, we don't even know where to begin looking," Will told him as if he was speaking to a simpleton.  
  
"Ye forget lad, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack said grandly. Will shook his head in disbelief, as if to ask himself why this pirate never seemed to understand that unfortunate and terrible things happened to everyone, even Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack caught his look, his hand fell to his head, and he heaved a sigh, "And we promised each other she wouldn't go back. I promised her, mate. I don't break me promises."  
  
Will watched the pirate captain, remembering the words he had exchanged with Anamaria only a day before. It seemed as if another lifetime. He became aware of a shadow across the midday sun in the doorway. His fiancé glided inside, sinking to sit on the floor beside Jack's bed, obviously having heard the words the captain had uttered.  
  
"You know, Jack," Elizabeth said with a sigh, a wry smile present on her lips, "It got a little out of hand yesterday when she accused Norrington and me of not hurrying enough to her liking to your rescue." Elizabeth brought her hand to her cheek in remembrance and said in almost awe, "She actually slapped me."  
  
Jack's somber expression took on that of pride and a smile graced his lips as he stared beyond the girl at nothing. "That's me girl."  
  
____________________________  
  
AN: Ugh, couldn't write as much as I wanted to-damn midyears are a waste of life. But, I will try to think up another chapter quite soon! We'll be hearing more about Ana next time, I can guarantee that m'dears. 


	15. Dusty Roads and Street Urchins

AN: Firstly I must thank my muse, who is soley responsible for this chapter seeing as of when I sat down at this computer I had no idea what this chapter would be about. Next I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers, but primarily this is for the fans! And the producer, he's great, and my agent, *kisses* and my mo-  
  
Oh, sorry, got a little carried away. Just practicing my Grammy acceptance speech- Who said that? Was that me? No, no, couldn't have been--  
  
*hides under computer*  
  
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Chapter 15: Dusty Roads and Street Urchins  
  
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Anamaria was exhausted. Her captors had eventually tied a longer rope to her bound hands so they could pull her along behind them and as she stumbled over a large rock, Evans gave it a particularly harsh yank. She gritted her teeth and trudged on behind them, imaging exactly how she would go about killing him. She knew it was of no use to her to scream or yell, being seen as a slave again and the papers to prove it and also knowing that if any pirates (or commodores) were coming to her rescue they could not possibly know her location and be in any close proximity. Night was falling and her stomach ached in hunger and her vision was unfocused due to fatigue. Ana had only one saving hope; Evans and his creep could not kill her or wound her seriously until the bounty promised to them was collected for her return unharmed.  
  
She sighed bitterly. She had been trying to figure out exactly why Charles Adler would go through such pains for her return; he must have a multitude of plantation slave women to choose from to be his whores. Hell, he could even afford upstanding whores more well-to-do than Tortuga's ladies. Ana glanced down at herself, her shirt torn and stained with Jack's and her own blood, her britches ripped and hair lying limply down her back; she grinned inwardly. Yes, Anamaria was sure she looked every inch a grand lady.  
  
She blinked as she and her captors broke through the trees of the dense jungle path into a dusty clearing. The sun was setting in the west, streaking the sky in a blood and wine painting behind the faint outline of buildings in the distance. Ana realized they were nearing their destination and felt a rush of panic. By the time that sun set again, it was quite possible that she would not be on this earth to see it. She desperately twisted her hands to her left, feeling in the pouch that she had tied to the waistline of her britches the comforting weight of Jack's gold coin. Ana heaved a sigh. It was possible that he would never know her reasons for bringing the Pearl to rescue him, or staying under his command, or even they way her heart felt when she heard his voice or met his eyes.  
  
She nearly walked straight into Evans as he stopped abruptly. The man grabbed her arm and pointed towards the city with a sinister grin, "Welcome home, my lady," he told her, eyes hardened.  
  
She chose not to reply and he went on, "We'll be meeting your master there to give you a nice reunion I'm sure." Ana attempted to suppress a shudder that ripped through her body. Evans saw it and rubbed her arm roughly with his thumb in a bruising and suggestive way that had Anamaria's blood boiling. "Now if you want a real man-" he began.  
  
Ana lashed out with her knee and caught him in the groin, expression thunderous. He groaned in pain and doubled over. She darted around him and ran down the dusty path towards Wittenburg, Evans' furious yelling carrying after her. Going several hundred feet, she heard footsteps closing in behind her and desperately tried to make her tired muscles faster. Something caught between her feet and she suddenly tripped, sprawling full out onto the ground, her bound hands unable to break her fall. Ana felt herself lose her breath and as she attempted to catch it felt a burning pain against the right side of her jaw and dull aching pain over her shoulders and the front of her body.  
  
Rough hands hauled her to her feet as Ana gasped for air. She found herself face to face, or face to chest, rather, with her small frame and his towering height with Evans' sailor companion, currently looking at her in a leering and peeved way. "Ye sh'know betta', bitch," he told her roughly. He made no effort to drag her back to where Evans was slowly catching up to them.  
  
He was glaring at Ana, eyes hard and expression filled with rage. He strode up to the pair and as Ana met his gaze evenly without fear, he backhanded her across her already raw jawbone. Her head snapped to the side and she would have fallen if it were not for the sailor's bruising grasp on her shoulders. Ana's eyes filled with shock and suppressed rage simmered there as she returned her gaze to stare into his own.  
  
"You won't be so cocky when Adler's through with you, bitch. If I had my way with you--" he broke off, angrily thrusting his fist into his other palm. Ana was still watching his motions through eyes veiled with dark emotions. She shook her head slowly and almost unconsciously, her strong emotion of disapproval made visible.  
  
Evans growled at her, expression livid. His fist shot out of nowhere and she was unprepared, unable to react quickly enough. It caught her in the side of the jaw yet again in the same abused spot and Ana saw darkness.  
  
- _____________________ -  
  
The captain of the Black Pearl awoke from his extended (yet unwilling, of course) nap with Anamaria's name on his lips and payback on his mind. He hauled his protesting body up using the sheets, seeing out the crack between the drapes that the sky was already dark. He cursed his weakness, knowing that he had been asleep at least the whole afternoon. Jack swayed uneasily on his feet, his head spinning.  
  
The door creaked open and Gibbs shuffled inside holding a tray and Jack's nostril's twitched at the appetizing smell. Gibbs frowned disapprovingly at his captain being out of bed and set down the tray on the desk. Jack took a step towards it, but Gibbs shook his head. Jack looked at him with a confused expression and rolled his eyes with an exasperated groan when his quartermaster lifted his eyebrows expectantly and pointed back towards the bed.  
  
"Gibbs, why must ye torture me with all this babysittin'?" Jack told him, leaning unsteadily against the chair that Will had occupied earlier that day.  
  
"Someone's gotta take care of ye when Ms. Ana isn't here to pester ye, ye mangy seadog," Gibbs growled.  
  
"As touching as that is-" Jack began to reply, stepping again towards the food that's aroma was calling out to him.  
  
He was cut off by his quartermaster, who raised his finger warningly. "Don't make me call in the boys on ye again, Capt'n." Jack groaned in annoyance, and reluctantly climbed back into bed, watching with unconcealed amusement as Gibbs propped the pillows up behind his back and brought the tray over to the pirate captain and set it in his lap. "'Asides," Gibbs told him, handing him a spoon, "They're goin ashore in a few hours to look for Ms. Ana and me figures yeh'd be meanin' to go with 'em."  
  
Jack perked up at this, staring innocently from the spoon in his hand to the grubby pirate in front of him. "Why aren't ye gonna feed me too, Gibbs?" he quipped, his spirits somewhat restored.  
  
The other pirate growled menacingly at him, and raised his fist.  
  
Jack continued on, turning the spoon over in his fingers with keen observation, expression perfectly serious and plaintive. "'Tis a difficult task, and there are some things I can't manage all by me onesies just yet, mate, injured as I am."  
  
He was cut off by the slamming of a chair back into the desk and stomping footsteps towards the door. Jack looked up at his quartermaster innocently. Gibbs glared at him, and only after the door was slammed shut did the captain permit himself to chuckle.  
  
- _____________________ -  
  
The dark tower loomed over her, as foreboding and ominous in its appearance as its significance. There was a single lamp lit near the top floor in the right window and as Anamaria gazed at it, it was suddenly smothered, as if the drapes had been let down across the window. The town of Wittenburg was quiet and had been since generally so, with its residents skittish and wary- looking in appearance, since Ana awoke a little time ago.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Something cold was poured over her head and Anamaria snapped her head up, eyes wide and searching. She was staring into a boy's unfamiliar face, his green eyes startled, and she saw by his position that he must have jumped sprang away from her when she awoke. Ana shifted uncomfortably, feeling the cold water drip down her back and she began to shiver in the dark of past twilight. "What ye do that for, boy?" she asked him sharply, feeling the restraints still binding her wrists.  
  
"Ah, beggin' yer pardon miss, but the men inside told me I'd best wake yeh." The boy replied, nervously glancing over his shoulder.  
  
"Do ye have a dagger?" Ana demanded softly, twisting to show him her bound hands. He hesitated, reaching into his back pocket with an expression that some could consider pity.  
  
"He might, but he won't be using it on you, whore. Thank ye boy, for yer assistance. Now leave," Evans' cold voice rang out from the shadows behind her, and she felt the painful jab of a pistol in her side.  
  
Ana watched in growing shock as the boy drew back several steps, fingered something circular and shiny in his hand and held it up to the dim light. Jack's coin! Ana wrenched herself forward, screaming something unintelligible at the street rat through her rage. The boy drew back into the shadows, his expression pitiful and greedy in the same.  
  
Evans took a chunk of her hair and yanked her along beside him, growling into her ear, "Shut up. We'd not want to--lose you, not when we're so close." Ana writhed under his forceful grip and made a sound of pure frustration and fighting surrender. Somewhere in her mind she registered that his thug-like companion was not with him. She felt the familiar wrenching of the rope pulling her raw and bloody wrists, and was forced to follow along after the bounty hunter into the shadows, fighting the entire time and mourning the loss of the comforting presence of Jack's coin.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
Ana shook her head in defeat and was shoved forward into the building. There was the hiss of fire as Evans lit a torch and the narrow stone stairwell was bathed in a harsh dim light. He motioned her towards the stairs, his pistol in one hand and torch in the other, and reluctantly she obeyed, seeing no alternative. When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw a tall barred wooden door. Evans knocked at it and after a moment, the top window slid open to reveal the through the dim yellow light a man's eyes inspecting him.  
  
The window slid closed again, and with the sounds of latches and locks being undone, the door swung inward. Evans shoved her inside, and Ana found herself face to foul face with the father of her son.  
  
-----  
  
Author: -- laughs wickedly. No worries, I think I've got a plan for this one.  
  
-- 


	16. Damsel in Distress?

Disclaimer: Evans, Adler, Eve, and Matthew are mine. And don't forget me plot. C'est tout.  
  
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Chapter 16: Damsel in Distress?  
  
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"Maria, my dear, how I've missed you!" Lord Charles Adler II exclaimed with a false aristocratic smile as she glared at him from where she had been pushed inside. He shut the door with a flourish of his ring-laden hand and gestured grandly towards a table laden with rich delicacies, expensive she was sure. "Are you hungry? You must be hungry. Eat something, darling. Look at you, all skin and bones."  
  
Anamaria rolled her eyes, instinctively stiffening at his generous attitude. She knew there was no reason for him to be compassionate or kind to her; he never had been so in the past. "I'm a little tied up at the moment," she remarked dryly.  
  
Charles cast his blue eyes over to Evans, who shrugged with a nonchalant grin on his dark face, and asked worriedly, "Can we take them off her? Surely there's no reason-"  
  
"Well," Ana told him thoughtfully, cutting him off and gaining herself a startled and somewhat angry look from the lord, "If ye did that, I can guarantee ye that that butter knife sittin' over there to the right o' the lovely flower pot would find a way into yer throat, mate."  
  
Charles' charming manner faded, and he motioned to Evans, who gave her a particularly hard tug on her tender wrists. "You will address me as 'sir' or 'my lord,' is that understood?" he told her, drawing himself up to his full and not quite impressing height.  
  
Ana did not reply, her silence granting her a sharp shove from behind, and she found herself kneeling on the ground before him. Immediately, she climbed back to her feet carefully, wincing at the pain and dizziness. She raised her head defiantly to meet his stormy eyes. "Always the proud one, Maria dear," he told her, none of his former delight evident in his words.  
  
"My name is not 'Maria," Ana told him quietly through gritted teeth, "And I'm not yer anythin'."  
  
"You are my property, which Mister Evans has so kindly returned to me."  
  
Anamaria spat on the ground before him, her expression twisting into disgust and anger, "I belong to the sea, and I'm no one's property."  
  
Charles closed the distance between them and slapped her cheek sharply. He then grasped her chin in his hand, ignoring her jerk backwards to release herself and her wince as he roughly increased the pressure scraped and bruised patch. "My, my," he sighed as if bored, "it seems that time away from the plantation has changed your perspectives."  
  
Ana scoffed at him, despite the obvious danger of pain she was put in, "That's not true, Charles," she called him by his name deliberately with a lazy drawl, to which he stiffened but did not react. "Ye know I was never acceptin' of yer ownership of anyone."  
  
Charles purposefully released her chin, pushing her backwards so she stumbled. He surveyed her tattered and stained clothing, flushed cheeks, bruises and scrapes, his eyes taking in her long legs, tan skin, stopping at her breasts, and resting slightly lower at her stomach. "Had any more children, Maria?" he asked intentionally. She stiffened, her eyes filling with rage to suppress her hurt. "Found another man to take you? No, I don't suppose anyone would have you." He paused, shaking his head slowly, and Ana almost lied and told him that she had, just to see if the temper he usually could conceal would make itself known. Charles watched her, his eyes calculating the amount of time before he could get a rise out of her, "We had a lovely ceremony for Stephan, Maria. It's a pity you couldn't be there-to say goodbye."  
  
Anamaria's face darkened into terrible rage and pain, and she rushed forward two quick steps and delivered to him a high kick to the chin, something she had fortunately picked up in Singapore. While he was staggered, she took the opportunity to whirl on Evans, moving to knee him in the same place she had before. Unfortunately, he caught her before she could reach him by tugging sharply on the ropes and flicking his dagger up to her throat. Ana froze as the dagger wavered by her throat, knowing if it moved only centimeters, she was dead. Evans moved the dagger downward to the side of her neck, still not out of danger range, and he pressed it into her. Ana did not dare to breathe, and he went further, dragging it along her skin, cutting a very light line of red.  
  
Ana grit her teeth, willing herself not to think of the pain and remain steady. He reached the edge of the neckline of her shift and moved on to continue cutting through the shift along the collarbone into her skin.  
  
Charles' hand grabbed the dagger and pulled it away from its task, and the two men began to struggle and exchange insults. Anamaria withdrew into a corner, fighting back tears of pain and defeat, wishing the nightmare would reach its end; her heart cried out for Jack.  
  
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An odd company composed of a lady, a young man dressed in plain clothing with a kerchief tied around his neck, a high-ranking British official, a filthy heavyset older man, several officers, and an unsteady man with a bruised face wearing a heavy vest and red bandanna, stood on the docks, staring at the town that was Wittenburg. "Where do we start?" breathed the lady, pushing her golden hair back from her face in annoyance.  
  
"Me guesses it don't rightly matter," the dirty gentleman replied, looking to the man sporting the red bandanna to his right.  
  
"We spread out," proclaimed the important British official, a commodore, to be precise. He turned to several of his lieutenants, "Take the west side of port and tell Gillette and his men to search the docks, boats, beaches, and buildings harbor side, understood?" The men nodded to their leader and scurried away, rifles held at ready. The commodore turned with a questioning glance to the man in the red bandanna with dark locks leaning against a pier.  
  
"The taverns," the man under inspection said suddenly.  
  
"What?" the man in the plain clothes and kerchief, the blacksmith, questioned immediately, knowing the dark-haired pirate captain was prone to sudden (both brilliant and daft) ideas.  
  
"We'll search the taverns," Captain Sparrow announced, straightening up slowly. He noted with annoyance that his companions seemed prepared to jump at him from all angles to hold him up if he happened to fall over. "They be travelin' fer a day, aye? Ye would be hungry an' thirsty after travelin' all day in the hot sun, savvy?"  
  
Gibbs, the heavyset pirate, rubbed a hand over his dirt-stained and unshaven face. "There be three taverns in this place," he volunteered, proceeding to explain their locations to the group.  
  
"You're not leaving me behind," broke in a new angry female voice from behind James.  
  
The group turned and saw the young lady Eve. James had been wondering where she had gotten to and now watched her curiously as the rest of the band scowled at her. James lifted his hand to cut off the stream of protests coming from all but Jack and himself. "Why is that, miss?" he asked neutrally.  
  
"Because I'm the only able-bodied person who hasn't anything to do and I'm not going to sit here while people far more injured than I are involved in this rescue mission," she told the Commodore firmly, marching up to him, green eyes narrowed stubbornly.  
  
James frowned. "It isn't safe for you, miss-"  
  
"I'm no lily-white lady, Commodore. I can hold my own and besides I won't even be fighting, only looking for a poor woman. Heaven knows what's happening to her!" she told him exasperatedly.  
  
A strangled noise escape Jack, and James glanced at him, realizing they were wasting precious time. Finally, he nodded curtly against his better judgment. Though her eyes were unfocused with concern, the young woman smiled at him.  
  
Elizabeth spoke up, clapping her hands once in resolution, "Good. Will and I will go to the Solid Rock, Commodore and Jack can take Fire on Ice, and Gibbs can take Eve and search Rosaline's," Elizabeth Swann proposed.  
  
She looked around the group, her eyes resting warily on Jack Sparrow and narrowing dangerously, "If you find anything, we'll meet back here in a half hour and will proceed from there." Everyone nodded their agreement except for Jack, who looked impatient and unfocused. "Jack--?" Elizabeth prodded.  
  
"Fine, yes," Jack sighed, "Now can we go?"  
  
_____________  
  
After nearly dragging Jack Sparrow away from a man seeming overly eager to bait the wounded captain and involve him in a brawl, Commodore Norrington found himself lightly restraining the pirate from an isolated table in the corner. Jack was gritting his teeth, watching the commotion of the bar with a sharp eye. There was no evidence of Anamaria or Evans, he admitted grudgingly to himself.  
  
"Captain Sparrow," James began slowly, removing his hand.His tone alone suggested that it would be best to leave and meet the others back at the docks, "Captain Sparrow, there is nothing for us here and I think you're making the customers nervous."  
  
James lifted his gaze from where he had been studying the bartender absentmindedly and realized that the pirate was not listening to him. James followed his gaze to a rather young lad with a mop of dirty brown hair and a wide smirk, obviously teasing his companion with something concealed in his hand. He squinted at the scene, looking back and forth between the boy and the captain, who looked strangely thoughtful and angry all at once. The boy's hand shifted, and James caught a glimpse of something shiny as the other boy made an attempt to snatch it out of his hand. James opened his mouth to ask Jack what exactly was so interesting about this lad, and glanced back at the pirate, only to discover his seat was empty.  
  
James's gaze went back to the boy, and he saw the unsteady pirate captain approaching him. "Not good," he muttered, leaping up from his seat and making his way over towards Jack's destination.  
  
The boy was giggling at his companion, admiring the prize in his hand. Suddenly, he found his wrist was caught in a large, rough hand. The boy gasped as the owner of the hand slid in beside him on the bench, propping up his elbow on the table. His friend scampered away, and the lad looked up with wide green eyes into the serious and steady black eyes of Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
Jack opened the boy's trembling fingers and plucked from his grasp a rather large, familiar gold coin, engraved with the Spanish seal. He held it up in inspection and cast his eyes sideways at the boy. "Where did ye get this?" he asked him gravely.  
  
The commodore's hand clamped down on his shoulder, and Jack winced, knowing he was caught. The boy looked even more terrified, glancing between the two: an obvious pirate and an obvious British officer. "Care to explain yourself, Captain?" James asked, his serious expression betraying nothing.  
  
Jack motioned for him to sit on the opposite side of the u-shaped bench, and the boy was caught between the two men. "This lad has somethin' that he shouldn't have. He was just about to tell me where he got it."  
  
"I-I-I--earned it, s-sir!" the boy squeaked, nodding furiously as if to convince himself that it was true.  
  
Jack leaned in close to the boy's ear, still fingering the coin. James rolled his eyes at the man's apparent oblivion to the concept of personal space. "Go ahead, tell me another one," Jack drawled seriously.  
  
The boy's eyes widened more, if possible, and he began sputtering furiously.  
  
"Ye stole it," Jack supplied to him cheerfully. The boy glanced at the commodore before back at the pirate in such close proximity to him, before screwing his eyes closed and nodding reluctantly.  
  
"Who did ye steal it from?" At the boy's silence, Jack prodded again, "What did she look like?"  
  
The lad's eyes flew open in shock, and James could see the pirate captain had hit it right on the mark, but the boy still refused to answer. James came to a sudden decision. "What's your name, son?" James asked kindly, leaning across the table in an attempt to counter Jack's effect on the petrified boy.  
  
"M-M-Matthew," he sputtered, turning his gaze to the commodore.  
  
"Matthew, my name is James Norrington and this is Jack Sparrow," James explained, ignoring the infuriated glares that Jack was shooting at him. "You're not in trouble, but it is very important that we find the lady that you took that from."  
  
The boy made no reaction except to inch away from Jack. After a moment he looked up at James curiously, his expression of dread wavering with uncertainty. "Yer not gonna arrest me?"  
  
James shook his head, but Jack's glance seemed to suggest that he would gladly shoot the commodore if he continued this nonsense. James sent the captain a silencing look before turning his attention back to Matthew. "Do you know where the lady is who this coin belonged to?"  
  
Jack finally sighed in obvious frustration when the boy still refused to answer. "Look, mate," he told Matthew, setting the coin down on the table with a clink. "I gave this to her a little while ago, so I know it's hers. 'Er name's Anamaria, and we're here to rescue her from the bad guys, savvy?"  
  
The boy glanced at the pirate nervously, his lips suddenly twisting into a small and excited smile. "She's yer damsel in distress then and yer gonna kill the bad guys and take her back and save the day?" he exclaimed, face brightening.  
  
Jack laughed aloud.  
  
At James' harsh look, Jack pulled his lips back down into a serious expression, his eyes still dancing at the idea of Anamaria reaction to herself referred to as a "damsel in distress." He nodded his head, contemplating the boy through narrowed eyes, "Aye, that's just it."  
  
. "W-Well, I-I-know where they t-took her about an hour ago," Matthew said finally.  
  
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I know, I know, it wouldn't really happen, its too ironic--- I promise I'll try and think of something really original & unexpected for the next chapter-what, did you think I'd just let her get rescued by her night in shining armor  
  
*giggles like a seven year old*  
  
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	17. In the Dark of the Night

AN: Merci bien, my reviewers! And for the record-what I meant about trying to make this one an original chapter is that I don't want everything to end up horribly predictable. No offense to anyone who does that; I myself am such a romantic Disney happy-ever-after person it's disgusting. Um, I think I'll stop talking now.  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Happy now? *pouts*  
  
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Chapter 17: In the Dark of the Night  
  
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"Captain, I cannot just let you run off to your doom. Look at you! You can barely walk down this street without proper assistance. I won't allow it! Ms. Swann will not allow it! Do you honestly believe that Anamaria would think better of you if you were dead? In all truth, Captain--"  
  
Commodore Norrington chased frantically after Jack Sparrow, who was in turn walking-or perhaps staggering would be the correct term, beside the boy Matthew. He caught the boy's eye and rolled his dark eyes in aggravation as the redcoat continued to shout at him in exasperation. Jack finally sighed with barely suppressed frustration, clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder in reassurance, and then whirled with a jingle of beads to face the perturbed commodore.  
  
"My boy," Jack began, seeing the commodore frown because he knew that the captain was not even ten years older than his own thirty. "Commodore," Jack amended quickly, his hands fluttering in annoyance, "Do ye really think ye can stop me? I don't give a bloody owl's hoot what ye, or Elizabeth for that matter think on-on--" he paused, his frustrated thoughts not able to make themselves into proper sentences and sighed, "On this matter, savvy?"  
  
"You don't even know that the boy speaking truth in taking us to her!" James protested; he saw out of the corner of his eye the dirty look Matthew shot at him in the dim light. He threw up his hands and began to backtrack, "Well then again, perhaps he is, but these men are professional bounty hunters, Sparrow. Do you know exactly what they can do to people who get in their way?" He demanded, trying to talk some sense into this impulsive, thick-headed man and having a sinking feeling that he was failing at it.  
  
Jack gave him a look that clearly said that he did know and had experienced what they did to people who crossed their path. "Commodore," he said testily, his patience waning with every passing minute, "I'm a pirate. Pi- rate," he explained, sounding out the word for emphasis. He was beginning to sway under the strain he was put under, and James could see the sheen of sweat beads appearing on his forehead. James grabbed the man's arm, ignoring his wince, and pushed him down onto a nearby crate. The pirate glared at him with a petulant expression in his shadowed eyes, "Ye can't stop me, James. I'll find me way."  
  
"I have little doubt that you will," James told him slipping back into his 'commodore' mode and turning his back to the pirate so he would not have to watch the man's soulful, pleading eyes as he pled his point.  
  
Jack tried a new tactic, narrowed his eyes into near slits, leaned forward, and raised his hand to wave in circles "Ana's a subject o' the British Crown, aye? And yer obligated to protect those under the crown, so really ye gotta go get her 'afore she's dead and there's no more of 'er to protect!" He exclaimed the last part with a sort of blind panic, as if the severity of the situation had just occurred to him.  
  
"Captain Sparrow, what you say is truth, but I just cannot let you go gallivanting off to your death simply because-" He turned around and caught at glimpse of Jack limping after the boy about fifteen yards up the road, disappearing into the shadows. "Sparrow!" He growled, sprinting after the pair, and muttered under his breath in annoyance, "bloody pirate."  
  
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"Any sign?" Elizabeth asked anxiously of the woman, Eve. Eve shook her head negatively from where she was perched atop a stack of crates surveying the area for any sign of Jack or James. They had been waiting nearly ten minutes past the designated rendez-vous time, and Elizabeth feared he had done exactly what she had made him promise not to.  
  
"Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth turned to see Gibbs watching her, something clearly on his mind; she nodded for him to go on. He motioned behind him to where several redcoats stood at attention, "These men 'ave reported seein' an unscrupulous lookin' character draggin' a bound woman down by north o' town by Beacon Street."  
  
"Why on God's earth didn't they follow 'em or stop them or something!" Eve demanded heatedly, swinging herself down from her post, voicing what had been on everyone's minds and had not managed to get into words just yet.  
  
"Said they was supposed to be lookin' for two men an' a lass," Gibbs explained, shifting from foot to foot. His irritation was clearly visible in his eyes.  
  
Eve rolled her eyes in annoyance and strode purposefully over to where the men stood awkwardly, "Thank you, gentlemen, for doin' such a fine duty." They stared at her, unsure if her tone held sarcasm or sincerity and not knowing how to react to it. She reached out and drew one of their swords out of the sheath, holding it comfortably in her hand by her side. Then men still stood gaping at her, several looking desperately at Elizabeth for help; she looked on, caught between shock and amusement.  
  
"Quit your lollygagging," Eve snapped, "We have a bastard to stop." As the somewhat stunned group followed her numbly towards Beacon Street, she looked back over her shoulder at the soldiers in distain. "Bloody redcoats," she muttered.  
  
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"Maria, dear,"  
  
Ana jerked her head up from where it had been for several minutes in a bowed position into the cold blue eyes that she had loathed for so long. Her face twisted in distaste, as she noticed him standing over her with Evans behind him, a new cut visible on his cheekbone. She made no reply and only stared stonily at the lord.  
  
"Maria, wouldn't you like to say goodbye to Mr. Evans? Unfortunately," Charles' lips sneered, making it known that it was not unfortunate at all, "he shall be leaving us and we'll have some time alone to reacquaint."  
  
Ana still did not reply, knowing if her hands were untied exactly the kind of farewell she'd be giving him. Charles sighed patiently, while Evans looked on, his dark and cut face twisting in anger, a leering look appearing in his eyes.  
  
"I know she wants to bid me a proper goodbye. We had some fun together," he said, both to the other man and Ana. He strode forward two long strides and yanked her to her feet, ignoring the expression of pain that flashed across her face as he created new bruises on her already sore arm. He shoved her against the wall and leaned in close, making it so his eyes were inches from hers. Ana bit her lip, knowing she must wait for the opportune moment. He smirked at her, his other hand gripping her hair painfully as he held her head in place. "Some good fun," he breathed, putrid breath causing Ana to suppress a shudder. He pressed his lips against hers and forced his tongue into her mouth, holding her whole body in place with his while he moved his hand on her arm to creep inside her inner thigh.  
  
"What are you doing? Really, I must protest-"  
  
Ana heard Charles' sputtering protests, and felt Evans' hand tighten on her inner thigh painfully, and she tried to gasp but could not, his lips still smothering hers. She fought to free her leg from where it was pinned. Finally she succeeded somewhat, and lashed out with it to collide painfully with his kneecap. She felt shooting pains throughout her knee down to her toes and cursed inwardly, feeling tears prick her eyes, but with a hard shove against the wall was released from his crushing weight. "You bitch!" she heard Evans yell and cringed, waiting for the slap that did not come.  
  
She snuck a cautious glance and saw that Charles had caught Evans' hand. "You're payment, sir," Charles said coldly, motioning towards the desk where on it laid a large sack that appeared quite heavy.  
  
Ana watched with distain as Evans strode to the desk and grasped it in his hand, smiling smugly, and felt its contents. "I owe you thanks, my lady, for ye have given this to me," he exclaimed haughtily and tipped his nonexistent hat mockingly. Ana spat on the ground before him from where she weakly stood propped against the wall. He laughed at her, shook hands with Charles, then sauntered out the door.  
  
She watched his retreating back and the door slam behind him with hate- filled eyes, but was interrupted by a purr in her left ear and hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Now where were we, darling?"  
  
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Evans strolled down the stairs and pushed open the heavy door that led to the street. He breathed in the fresh night air and jingled the contents of the sack. Life was looking good tonight. Now what to do with his newfound fortune--? Evans turned to walk towards the nearest tavern and bumped solidly into someone standing in the shadows.  
  
"Sorry, mate," he heard a voice growl and felt a sharp pain as something hard collided severely with his abdomen.  
  
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AN: Review? Pretty please? I'd really like to know what you're thinking about it! 


	18. Charles' Story and Finding Ana

AN: News Bulletin: Guess what? It's not the last chapter! *giggles* Thank you my lovely reviewers, it is always so appreciated.  
  
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Chapter 18: Charles' Story and Finding Ana  
  
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Evans was doubled over and gasping and had dropped the sack he was carrying with an audible clunk. Jack felt a rush of rage towards the man when he saw it, rivaling that which he had felt for Barbosa. The contents of this bag were what he had sold Ana out for.  
  
"Oh, aye," Jack continued, fist smashing into with the side of Evans' jaw; the man spun away and fell to his knees. "Sorry that I cannot do to ye black-hearted bastard exactly what I want to do," he finished, eyes holding the serious expression that those in his presence had become accustomed to seeing during the past week.  
  
Evans leapt up with growl and drew his sword, advancing on the pirate captain. Jack could see clearly in the moonlight his bleeding cheek and felt a wave of satisfaction. He drew his sword as well, blocking the man's clumsy blows easily. Evans stepped heavily to the right as Jack's slash caught him off guard. Jack grinned, gold teeth glinting, and stepped closer, blade swishing forward dangerously.  
  
Evans flicked up his sword and swung hard at Jack, who jumped backwards easily. Or, he would have jumped back had he not tripped over a loose cobblestone and staggered back, falling to one knee. The hunter advanced on him, planting his feet onto the ground and swinging the sword like a bat lethally towards Jack's torso. Jack looked up, eyes wide as he saw the blade coming towards him. He squeezed his eyes shut and-  
  
--felt nothing. He looked saw James standing over him, holding his sword diagonally only inches from his nose, blocking the Evans' stroke. James kicked the man in the gut and he rolled backwards several feet. The officer offered his hand to the pirate, who accepted it gratefully and clamored to his feet.  
  
Jack motioned for James to stay back while he approached the man, currently climbing to his feet and wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Evans held out his sword, mouth set in a hard line. In the moonlight, the line of blood creeping down his face gave the man a savage and hellish appearance.  
  
The pirate blocked two blows, impatience growing. Ana obviously wasn't with this man, and he had already collected his reward, which meant that Adler now had her back, for what reason, Jack's dark imagination could only see the worse. Jack attacked; it was blocked. Then to catch him off-guard, he attacked low, slashing the man across the thigh. Evans grimaced and Jack took advantage of his hesitation, knocking the sword out of his hand and shoving him headfirst into a large crate, where he lay moaning.  
  
Norrington came forward somewhat reluctantly, drawing a pair of irons and a length of rope from his belt. He clapped the irons on the crumpled hunter's arms while Matthew looked on in fascination. He then bound the man's feet awkwardly, as the man was still struggling.  
  
"Where's Anamaria?" Jack demanded in a low growl. Evans glared up at him and made no response. "Where is my first mate?" Jack pressured; his patience was waning further, and his boot found its way to rest purposefully beside Evans' nose. Jack gave his cheek a light encouraging kick.  
  
Evans squawked in surprise and opened his mouth to say hoarsely, "Oh, I daresay Adler's havin' a bit o' fun with her now. A feisty one, ain't she?" Jack's murderous look possessed him to continue, "She'll be quite useful to him in retribution too, 'afore he kills her o'course."  
  
Evans let out a grunt muffled by the cobblestones as Jack's boot-tip connected painfully with his head. Staring down disdainfully at him, Jack motioned to Matthew. "Watch him," he told the boy, handing him his boot dagger, "Don't let him try anythin' funny."  
  
Jack strode over to the doorway that Evans had just come out of, a confused James following him in bewilderment. "You--you can't just give a knife to a child, Jack-" he sputtered indignantly.  
  
"I can," Jack told him calmly with no backward glance to ensure that the commodore was following, "An' I just did."  
  
"Jack Sparrow!"  
  
Jack paused in the entrance of the building and poked his head out as a new piqued female voice drifted through the night air. He grimaced as he saw the company making its way down the street. James' normally solemn face on the contrary, took on a relieved and happy expression.  
  
"Miss Swann," Jack acknowledged reluctantly, knowing he was in for a slap.  
  
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Ana felt Charles' hand slip around her shoulders and then begin its descent downwards. Ana shoved him off of her, using the little body strength she still possessed.  
  
He chucked, dusting off his suit jacket, "Still the fiery one, I see?" Ana growled at him in disgust and opened her mouth to scream. He cut her off with his hand over her mouth and glared down at her, "Now, Maria, I wouldn't want you upsetting anyone just yet," He removed his hand and Ana opened her mouth again. He slapped her across the face and at her shocked expression removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it securely around her face, acting as a gag. "My dear, I think you underestimate me," he said patiently, stepping across the room to open a carefully concealed door.  
  
Ana's eyes widened as she saw through it another room containing three large, dark-skinned men staring back at her with hard eyes. Her eyes went from one to the other, each one being heavily armed and dangerous. Her eyes shifted back to Charles, who was staring on smugly, and he shut the door gently. "Yes," he mused, inspecting her carefully. "As much fun as it will be to have you back in my bed, I must admit I haven't been completely honest with my intentions."  
  
Ana frowned and watched him draw a pair of shackles from the desk drawer and glared at him with rage-filled eyes as he came towards her with them. Ana stumbled to the other side of the room in an attempt to escape what she knew was coming. She backed into the corner of the bed, and tripped, her ankle twisting painfully. As she fell, her head grazed the paneling. She gritted her teeth as the throbbing pain she had been experiencing intensified in sharp pangs and her ankle began to burn uncomfortably.  
  
Charles knelt before her and snapped the shackles around her ankles, ignoring her struggles. He lifted her easily and tossed her onto the bed where she lay, wild-eyed and bound.  
  
"Let me see, what was I saying? Ah, yes," he went on, answering his own question, one hand currently drawing wide circles around her knee, ignoring her attempts to roll herself out of range of his touch. "When I realized you were alive, Maria, I remembered all the good times we'd had together--"  
  
Ana would have laughed aloud if she hadn't currently been tasting that blasted gag. She managed to make a snort of disbelief. Charles stared down at her, eyes narrowing in annoyance.  
  
"A few months ago," he continued his expression going quite sour as began to explain, "One of my business associates came to me with curious news. It seems that one of the tribes in Dutch Angola on the western African coast, the Himba to be precise, finally discovered the fate of the son of their chief who disappeared nearly forty years ago; he was taken as a slave to a Caribbean Island. Truth be known, he unfortunately died eleven years ago, but his daughter is alive. The Dutch explorers in Angola is searching and offering an incredible sum of money for this woman's return in that her presence as the chief's granddaughter would give them great power over the people."  
  
Ana stared up at him; his words were starting to sink in. Her father had died due to disease eleven years ago. Surely they did not mean that- Charles' other hand not on her knee he put on her shoulder, stroking downward with his finger to a place that had Ana struggling with renewed vigor.  
  
"You, my dear, are they key. You have the ultimate key, which will prove your heritage. A ring, I believe, engraved with an initial 'A,' for his tribal name 'Ade' symbolizing royalty. My Maria, you shall make me wealthy beyond my dreams," he crooned in her ear.  
  
Ana continued to struggle against him; her mind was working furiously. Her father was the son of a chief? The Dutch wanted her status to exercise their power over the Himba, her people? While Charles was preoccupied with creeping along her leg, Ana finally managed to force the gag up over her teeth so she was temporarily able to make noise.  
  
She took a deep breath and screamed.  
  
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The pirate captain could take it no more once he heard her scream. He ignored the warning look that James gave him and shrugged off both his and Will's arms that had been keeping him from breaking down the door the entire time that Adler had been talking. Jack shot the lock off the door with accustomed precision and rammed himself into the door, ignoring all the wounds that screamed at him in the process.  
  
James and Will exchanged a look, knowing the pirate was acting rash, and with their weapons drawn, raced after him.  
  
Jack managed to force the door open and rushed in. The first thing he noticed was Ana bound lying on a bed, her face and body grimy and beaten. His joy at finding her at last was countered by the fact that she was harmed and that Adler was nowhere in sight. "Anamaria," he breathed, striding over to her side and dropping to his knees beside her.  
  
Ana's gag had slipped back into her mouth and she looked at him, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and relief. She saw behind him Commodore Norrington and Will Turner, swords drawn. He put his pistol beside her on the bed and used his sword to efficiently cut through the gag. She spat it out and licked dry her lips and swallowed so she would be able to speak. He brushed her tangled hair back from her face, concern clear in his eyes.  
  
"Jack," she managed hoarsely after what seemed like an eternity to her, "Ye addle-brained fool, get out! There's guards back they're ready to kill ye! Go!"  
  
Jack's eyes widened and he felt some annoyance mixed with amusement that her first words to him were to call him a fool. He shook his head, and he started to saw through the ropes binding her hands, feeling her jerk in pain with every time he had to pull. "Not without ye, Ana," he told her, eyes searching hers intensely, "Serves me right, leavin' ye alone and I'm not gonna do it again."  
  
James and Will had crossed the room to the other door, and Will quickly snapped the chain-lock into place, hindering them from entering back into the room for a small amount of time at least.  
  
Jack finally succeeded in freeing her hands, and froze, dismayed, when he saw her bleeding, raw wrists revealed. Ana winced as the cool air made contact with them but gave Jack a little shove to push him out of his thoughts. "Hurry, get these off me feet," she hissed.  
  
The door thumped. All eyes in the room shot to it. "Jack," Will said tersely, "Get Anamaria out."  
  
Jack looked around frantically for the key to the shackles binding her ankles. James spotted it on the desk and flung it at the captain, who caught it easily. There was the duel sound of stomping up the stairs and a pounding at the locked door. Jack unlocked the shackles with his unsteady hands, noting with a falling heart that one of her ankles appeared somewhat swollen.  
  
The four were frozen, not knowing what to do as the sounds intensified. The door to the adjoining room burst open, stopped only by a thin chain. Gibbs threw himself into the room, holding out his pistol in readiness and froze, taking in the whole scene.  
  
"Jack," James repeated Will's prior words sharply, "Get Anamaria out now!"  
  
Jack stood, his pistol clutched in his left hand while in his right he wrapped around the woman's waist, pulling her to her feet. He would have carried her, knowing that it was most probable the either he would not be physically able or that she would protest too much. She winced as her injured ankle hit the ground and put little weight on it.  
  
Jack began to step forward, pulling her along with him. Ana grit her teeth and continued to move, a burning pain beginning to throb along her side. She felt wetness along her ribcage but did not let herself make a sound. The two hobbled out of the room and around a corner and were faced with a daunting challenge: the staircase. They heard the loud bang of a door hitting the wall in the room they had just vacated and Anamaria stared up at him with wide, afraid eyes.  
  
Jack did not reply and tightened his arm around her waist. His finger slipped upward along the place that Ana knew was soaked red, and Jack became aware of the damp fabric, looking downward at his visible fingers. In the dim light, he could see they were stained with red.  
  
"Ana," he murmured, "When did this happen?"  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Bitch!" Charles hissed in her ear, his elbow connecting painfully with her stomach to cut off her scream. He seized the fallen dagger that lay beside him on the bed and reached out to slash her stomach. She rolled over, anticipating the move and tried to block with her upper arm. However, her reactions were slow and it caught her just below her bicep along the side of her ribcage, making a painful arc against her skin. It stuck there before falling to the bed, stained red. Ana's mouth fell open in pain.  
  
A pistol shot rang out. Charles scrambled to his feet and fled into the other room, door slamming behind him as the door to the stairwell burst open, revealing a disheveled and murderous-looking Jack Sparrow  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"It's no matter, I'm fine," she told him softly. She carefully lowered herself down one step, already beginning to pant with the exertion.  
  
Jack watched her disbelievingly but lowered his hand so it was not in contact with the wound and helped her down the stairs, the sound of the events upstairs following them. They reached the first stairwell after what seemed like forever; Ana was breathing heavily and Jack could tell that she was favoring her ankle and that she could not take much more of this and was already fading.  
  
Ana paused, her vision swimming most irritatingly before her eyes, and the pain in her side nearly overwhelming the pain in her ankle. "Jack," she said, her voice sounding tinny and far away. She could barely see now, Jack's figure barely discernible to her fading eyes. "Jack, I can't-"  
  
Her body slumped suddenly against his and was motionless.  
  
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Historical Authors Note: The Himba settled in southern Angola and were a pastoral tribes there, with Dutch forts stationed along the coasts towards the end of the 1600s. And Ade is an actual African name meaning "royal one".  
  
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Other AN: *****2/4/04**** Ive changed this chapter somewhat because due to research, I've realized that the Herero and Portugeuse (which had originally been Ana's tribe) didn't work out with the time frame, so I've changed it to the Himba (a branch of the Herero) and the Dutch. ______________________ 


	19. Three Musketeers & Dark Places

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AN: Okey dokey, first things first. I realize the last chapter might have been kind of confusing if you don't remember the beginning when Ana is explaining about her past and her father. Her father was born free, (Ch. 3) and he's the one who gave her the ring engraved with the "A" that she gave to Jack (Ch. 5). She said it was "A" for Adam even though Charles has told us it stands for "Ade," an African tribal name meaning royalty. I'm going to assume that slaves were given European names upon being sold to the plantation.  
  
And: My lover reviews, I love you *muchos kisses*!  
  
Quick question (had me wondering all day):  
  
J.L. Dexter: Would that be a golly-gee-whiz-this-is-getting-intense utter silence I hear? Or perhaps: what-in-blue-blazes-just-happened,-I'm-so- confused,-please-rewrite silence and bewilderment?  
  
Anyways, whew, I'm done. Here we go.  
  
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Chapter 19: Three Musketeers and Dark Places  
  
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Will, James, and Gibbs backed slowly towards the door that Ana and Jack had just vacated, the banging against the opposite door growing progressively louder with each passing moment. Suddenly, the chain snapped and three large black-skinned men burst into the room. Time seemed to freeze. The newcomers were bare-chested, with roped straps across the front with the obvious purpose of holding several weapons. Each had a different color of body paint in marks across their muscular chests; black, yellow, and red and were obviously trained warriors.  
  
Gibbs let off a shot with his pistol, catching the yellow-painted man in the shoulder. The man let out a grunt as the wound started to bleed, and he shifted his blade to his other arm. He looked relatively unaffected by the blow, and his comrades did not even blink. Will, James, and Gibbs exchanged a look.  
  
"Bloody 'ell," Gibbs muttered desolately.  
  
Suddenly the black men rushed at the three. James, always opposed to killing without proper trial, began to fend off the black warrior with his sword. The man fought back with strength that had James backed into a wall. Gibbs drew his other pistol, knowing it his previous to only have one shot, and shot the yellow warrior again, this time catching him though the neck. He began to bleed fiercely, and slumped against the wall.  
  
"Oy!" Gibbs yelled, jumping after James' attacker as well. The two men attacked simultaneous with their swords, as the large black warrior blocked them with one sword. They struggled against him, a battle of strength more than skill, each trying to press the blade towards the other side.  
  
Meanwhile, Will had begun to duel the red warrior, who let out a ferocious noise before attacking. Will warded off two of his slashes with his sword and was barely able to escape the third by jumping out of the way; the edge of it caught his calf, cutting shallowly into the skin. Will winced and straightened, parrying the red man's attack with effort.  
  
As he struggled with the warrior, he saw an average-sized man with blond hair swept back from his face dressed in a gray suit standing in the place that the warriors had come, holding up a pistol.  
  
"Isn't it fascinating?" The man said, cocking the gun and aiming it at a wide-eyed Will. This must be Charles Adler that Jack and Anamaria had spoken of. "These soldiers I managed to find in Angola and are trained not to feel or register pain. Pity for you," the aristocrat said with a measured sigh.  
  
Will saw his finger move to the trigger and shoved the black man in front of him to block the bullet. The shot rang out, burying itself in the red warrior's thigh. The man grunted, but did not fall. Will slashed out with his sword, hoping to catch him off-guard, and cut him across the chest. The red-painted warrior staggered backwards.  
  
Charles' eyes widened and he hurried out of line of the fighting, most likely to hurry down the stairs after Jack and Anamaria, Will knew. He also reminded himself that it couldn't be helped, as he ducked out of the way of the large man's fist, his sword landing on the bed. He dodged the man's fist again, ducking behind the bedpost to shield himself.  
  
James and Gibbs were still struggling with the black warrior, barely managing between the two of them to back him into a corner. Not a good idea. The warrior seized a chair from beside him and swung it hard at the two men, who dove out of the way. James swore heavily, seeing his sword skitter across the floor.  
  
Will seized James' sword and plunged it into the red warrior's stomach, realizing that it was quite possible that it would have no effect on him. However, the man let out a strangled scream and gurgled as blood began to drip out of his mouth, and he fell heavily to his knees, causing the entire room to tremble. The warrior called out in a strange tongue, his hands rising over his head as if praying, and then collapsed to the floor, his life flowing from his body.  
  
Will stared at him a moment, feeling a wave of pity for the man. He suddenly noticed the black warrior making his way towards an unarmed James, Gibbs hanging powerlessly off of his arm. Will leapt across the room to join the other two, grabbing the shackles that had previously been locked on Anamaria and were currently lying abandoned on the floor.  
  
He launched the irons at the last remaining opponent; the heavy metal bindings collided with his temple with a dull thud. The black-painted warrior blinked several times, before stumbling backwards and slouching against the wall. James looked at him with pity, seeing his eyes roll into his head and his body slide down the wall, a trickle of blood making its way down its face.  
  
James stood and picked up the iron shackles, and snapping them onto the man's ankles. Clutching his dagger, he cautiously approached the fallen man's head, feeling for a pulse. "He's alive. He'll most likely live," James announced unnecessarily. A silence fell over the group, the trio surveying the bloody state of the room.  
  
"Adler," Will said suddenly, striding over to the small adjoining room. He saw that there was another door out of it left carelessly open, and saw that it led to a staircase that was not the main one that they had ascended. "Adler got away. Out the back, it seems."  
  
"'E's probably goin' after Ana an' Jack," Gibbs growled, frown creasing his forehead.  
  
All the sudden there was a flurry of activity between the three. Will tossed James' sword back to him and snatched his own sword up from the bed. James seized his sword and sheathed his dagger. Gibbs snatched his fallen pistol up from the floor and, noticing the key to the shackles lying on the bed, took that as well and flung it out the window. The three paused, nodded once in acknowledgement, and sprinted from the room.  
  
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"Ana," Jack yelled hoarsely, propping her up against him and in turn propping himself up against the wall as he attempted to balance the both of them on the narrow landing. He clumsily held her against him, and several tense, panicked moments hater, he finally noted with a swell of relief that she was still breathing. He held her against him and felt clumsily for a pulse and found it steady. He hoisted her up into his arms and saw again that her side was soaked with a spreading red stain that he had noticed before.  
  
Jack staggered a bit, unaccustomed to her weight, even though he knew she was very light, as it were. Jack carefully picked his way down the stairs, and he had to lean heavily on the wall even though it rubbed painfully against his shoulder. Jack began to hum, feeling incredibly alone, a part of him hoping that she could hear it and wake up. After what felt like an eternity (six verses of his pirate song), he emerged from the bottom of the stairwell into the dim light of the street. He felt his strength fading as he continued down towards the place where James had told the rest of the party to wait. "Just a little more, gotta keep goin'," he muttered diligently.  
  
"Jack!" Elizabeth's voice rang out clearly through the night.  
  
He smiled tiredly. Never had he been so glad to hear that woman's shriek. Jack lay Ana down carefully on the cobblestones and turned to Elizabeth, saying urgently, "Luv, give me some o' those skirts o'yers. Need to stop the bleedin'."  
  
Elizabeth stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth forming an "o," as if to ask "What bleeding?" Nevertheless, she took her knife and cut a thick layer off the edge of her underskirts the whole way around and handed the strips to Jack. She then propped Ana's shoulders and head onto her lap as Jack tightly bound the wound around her ribs. He tied it over the cut, praying that it would stay and stop the blood flow.  
  
"Jack," Elizabeth breathed, pushing aside Ana's dark hair to reveal a large bump and shallow cut along her hairline, "No wonder she isn't conscious." Elizabeth looked up as if suddenly realizing that the pair was without company. "Where's Will?"  
  
Jack did not lift his eyes from Ana's still form. He did not know if she had fainted due to blood loss, a concussion, or even hunger or dehydration, but he did know she needed to be taken to a doctor. "The young Mister Turner, Commodore, and quartermaster are currently battling with Adler's big goons," he said humorlessly.  
  
"He had men with him?" Elizabeth gasped.  
  
Jack nodded reluctantly. Elizabeth gently lay Ana back on the ground and shot to her feet, picking up her knife once again and tucking it in its sheath tied to her sash. "Where are ye goin?" Jack asked curiously.  
  
"I'm going to help," Elizabeth replied, turning on her heel and making her way back up the street towards the place where Will had come out of.  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea, lass," Jack called out tiredly from where he knelt beside Ana, moving to take Elizabeth's spot at her head.  
  
"And why the bloody hell not?" Elizabeth snapped over her shoulder as she continued to move further away.  
  
"The whelp's gonna kill me," Jack muttered. He called out in the darkness to the two British soldiers that were standing there, "Ye there, one of ye go with Miss Swann and keep her safe, savvy?"  
  
The two men exchanged glances and after a moment one saluted and hurried after Elizabeth, knees high in the air as he jogged. The other stood at attention. Jack caught sight of in the darkness, a swish of skirts kneel by Anamaria's feet.  
  
"So this is her, aye?" It was Eve, and she was looking at Anamaria in admiration, "This is the one that ye let yerself be taken and beaten for?"  
  
Jack nodded mutely, his gaze being drawn back to his first mate. He saw that the makeshift bandage was already starting to soak through and cursed softly. "We 'ave to get her back to the Dauntless to a doctor," he told Eve sharply. "That blasted thing needs stitches or somethin'."  
  
The girl nodded readily, noting the predicament they were in. One soldier: he would have to be the one to drag Evans back, a small boy, herself, a recovering and tired pirate captain, and an unconscious woman. Eve whipped off the cloak that she had been wearing, noting its heavy wool fabric. It would hold. "Lift her up," she told him, and the boy Matthew came scurrying over to assist them.  
  
Carefully, the three moved the still-unconscious woman onto the cloak. Three people, four corners. Eve stopped, momentarily stumped. She swallowed hard, frowning, and looked at Jack, knowing exactly what must be done and not wanting to be the one to voice it. One more look at the wounded woman had her opening her mouth, "We could leave Evans 'ere," she suggested finally, "And this here redcoat could carry 'er."  
  
Jack swaggered over to the soldier, squinting at him. "Ye look familiar. Have I threatened ye before when I was in Port Royal?" he asked him, mostly serious. The little boy Matthew giggled, and Jack glared menacingly at him to shush him.  
  
"Names Murtogg," the soldier said nervously, "An' yes, we tried to stop ye from goin' aboard the Interceptor, sir," he added.  
  
"Mister Murtogg," Jack said, waving his arms about graciously. "I'm gonna give ye the honor of carryin' me Ana back to the Dauntless. But," Jack got right in the man's face, sticking his grimy finger dangerously close to his nose, "If ye hurt her more, yer a dead man, savvy?"  
  
Murtogg gulped, nodding furiously, "Aye, sir. S-savvy, sir."  
  
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Elizabeth stood at the base of the staircase, cursing the lack of light. She held her dagger in front of her like a madwoman, wondering again what exactly she was doing, going off to help Will. She heard a sound behind her and spun around to see a British soldier standing there, his musket grasped in hand, face unreadable. She rolled her eyes. "I suppose this is Jack Sparrow's doing?" she asked him wryly.  
  
"Ah, yes m'am," the man replied somewhat uncomfortably. "If it's quite alright, Ms. Swann, I'll scout out these 'ere stairs and yell down to ye when I find its clear."  
  
Elizabeth sighed, twisting her hands in frustration, "If you must."  
  
The soldier disappeared up the stairs, and Elizabeth slumped against the wall, cursing all etiquette that made Captain Jack Sparrow have the British Royal Navy watch over her like this. The wall behind her began to move, and she stumbled backwards with a muffled shriek.  
  
She straightened up, her dagger pushed out in front of her as a threat to the void that had emerged in front of her. "Hello?" she whispered, calling herself a cowardice fool the moment it left her lips. She stepped closer to it, wondering if she could be imagining the hushed sounds coming from the passage.  
  
Elizabeth took one more step forward and suddenly felt something large making a strangled grunt collide with her outstretched hand. With her outstretched knife.  
  
She did the only thing she could do given the situation: she screamed.  
  
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AN: Oooh do I feel evil. Is it too confusing and all over the place? Please let me know if you're currently staring at the computer going "what on earth just *happened*?" Savvy? Yes?  
  
On a lighter note, I think it's almost done, just another chappie or two for this baby.  
  
But of course, I already am considering an idea for a sequel------  
  
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	20. Losing, Finding, and Trying

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Chapter 20: Losing, Finding, and Trying  
  
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Will's head jerked up and he froze, holding up his hand to the two other men with him as a scream pierced the night. He recognized it immediately: Elizabeth's scream.  
  
"Elizabeth!" Will yelled frantically, taking the stairs two at a time to reach the bottom as fast as humanly possible. Gibbs and James exchanged worried glances before rushing after him.  
  
As he barreled down the stairs, Will rounded the second landing with ease. However, he misjudged the depth of the step and stumbled, slipping and rolling painfully down several steps. He collided hard with a heavy figure and thinking that it was Elizabeth's attacker, Will bared his teeth and hung on to the man. The two landed in a heap at the base of the stairs, moaning in pain. Will shot to his feet, wincing at the soon-to-be bruises that were already painful. He spotted Elizabeth's dress-clothed figure standing just in the shadows, quaking. Will also saw someone beyond her whimpering in pain, and he rushed to the pair, grabbing Elizabeth by the shoulders.  
  
Elizabeth dropped her arm immediately, staring open mouthed at the man that she had stabbed. The person that Will had crashed into (he now recognized it as Mullroy, one of James' men) gingerly climbed to his feet, and Will pushed Elizabeth into his arms.  
  
Norrington and Gibbs came thundering down the stairs, halting as they could barely make out the group of people in the darkness. James fished into his pocket and dress out a piece of flint, which he began quickly trying to light one of the torches on the wall with. Impatiently he noticed that it wouldn't light, and the pirate beside him suddenly emptied the contents of his hipflask onto the torch. James rolled his eyes, but attempted to light it once more. The torch began to burn fiercely with a whoosh, and the commodore had to jerk his arm away so it would not catch on fire.  
  
In the sudden light, Will saw himself looking into the stunned and pale face of Lord Charles Adler. Elizabeth's dagger was still protruding from his shoulder, and the aristocrat was staring at it open-mouthed in disbelief, his trembling hands hovering around it.  
  
"James," Will called softly.  
  
At the sound of his voice, the man's stormy eyes raised to meet Will's dark ones, and he opened his mouth to begin rattling off nothingness. "She stabbed me! In God's truth, she killed me! I'm a very powerful man, and I assure you, sir that she will get her full comeuppances for this awful deed. I need a doctor! You must get this out; I shall bleed to death, truth be known! I knew a fellow who was cut in this place and he was dead within and hour with no medic. Lass, you best be prepared for the gallows because- "  
  
He stopped abruptly, his eyes rolling back into his head and he slid backwards down the wall.  
  
Everyone stared at him in heavy silence, broken suddenly by Elizabeth's soft wail. "D-did I kill him?" she asked softly between small sobs from where she had slipped from Mullroy's arms and was kneeling on the ground. Will fell to his knees beside her and wrapped her carefully in his arms.  
  
"Nah," Gibbs drawled, moving over to inspect the fallen man. "'E's still breathin', but I says if ye take out that blade, he could be bleedin' to death. Shoulder wounds bleed somethin' awful." Gibbs took a length of rope from his belt and bound it around his hands, then leaned down to sharply slap his cheek.  
  
Charles awakened with a startled yelp, and found himself staring at the filthiest man he had ever seen, his large sideburns and beard overwhelming his face. Charles inched backwards along the wall, sniveling pitifully. "Please don't hurt me," he pleaded. Gibbs rolled his eyes and hauled the man to his feet. Charles realized his arms were bound and that the knife was still imbedded in his shoulder and looked apprehensively at the men surrounding him. "You're not going to remove it?" he asked pompously.  
  
Now it was Will's turn to roll his eyes, "We'd best return to the others. They're likely returning to the Dauntless and Pearl as we speak."  
  
James nodded curtly his agreement. The group set off towards the harbor, Charles continuing to protest incessantly in his irritating voice until Gibbs decided that he had had enough and backhanded the man into silence.  
  
They paused at the alley where Eve and the others had been staying to keep a watch on Evans. James knelt in the dim light beside a bloodstained spot on the cobblestones, noting grimly that it was fresh.  
  
"James," Will called uneasily. The commodore straightened up and followed the blacksmith's worried gaze to where he saw a pair of irons and a blood- stained length of rope lying on the ground, looking suspiciously like the ones that he had positioned on Evans not too long before.  
  
James crossed to them, the glint of metal several inches away from them catching his eye. It was a dagger, its blade twisted and bloodstained.  
  
"Let's let not assume the worst-" James started to say anxiously.  
  
"Mary, mother o'God," Gibbs breathed, interrupting him, "The bastard's escaped,"  
  
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"Set 'er down in me cabin," Jack ordered Murtogg, his anxiety peaking once again as the group carefully boarded the Pearl. He saw that Ana's breathing had begun to grow shallower; it was audible that her breathing was raspier and her face had gone grey. He motioned for the soldier to lay her down on his bed, and Jack turned to the man, his eyes wide, "Please fetch yer doctor."  
  
The soldier saluted obnoxiously, and scurried off. Jack stood beside her body on the bed and slid a pillow beneath Ana's head, cursing himself for feeling useless. He flipped open his knife and slit open her shift, eternally grateful for the invention of the camisole, one of which she was currently wearing.  
  
Jack fell to his knees beside her, brushing a tangle of her dark hair tenderly away from her face. "Don't let go, Ana," he murmured, eyes roving over her ashen face, "Don't quit fightin'. I can't do it by me onesies anymore."  
  
A grey-haired doctor came scurrying in, his spectacles firmly in place on his nose and a bag clutched under his arm. He froze when he saw the blood- stained pirate captain bending over the motionless woman, seeing the hard look the man was giving him. Almost immediately, however, he shook his head and said brusquely, "Sir, you'll have to leave."  
  
Jack planted his feet on the wooden floor and crossed his arms. "It's a knife wound," Jack told him as if the medic hadn't spoken, "Along the ribs and it seems to be bleedin' pretty harsh. She passed out about ten minutes ago and 'asn't woken up. Don't know if she's had anything to eat in the past few days and it looks like she's been banged 'round quite a bit."  
  
The doctor's eyes widened and he hurried to the patient's side, inspecting the place where Jack had bound the cut. He cut away the bandages, all but forgetting Jack's presence, and examined the cut carefully. "Needs stitches," he murmured to himself. He reached for his medical bag, and caught sight of Jack's grimy hands offering it to him. "Out!" the doctor screeched, shooing Jack to the door.  
  
"But-I'm Captain Jack Sparrow-" Jack tried valiantly, digging his heels into the floor as the old man all but pushed him out the door, slamming it in his face. In his weakened condition, he doubted it was very hard. Jack shook his head angrily and sank down beside the door, his head sinking into his hands. Ironic, "I can stop bloody bounty hunter's an' bloodthirsty pirates but I can't stop a blasted doctor?" he asked himself.  
  
Time passed. He did not know how much time.  
  
He was interrupted by the sounds of stomping boots aboard the ship and felt someone's presence looking above him. He looked up into the faces of James, Gibbs, and Will all surrounding him. "Bloody 'ell!" Jack jumped in surprise and then rolled his eyes. "Glad to see yer all in one piece," he told them gratefully.  
  
"Where's Miss Ana?" Gibbs asked unnecessarily. Will stuck his hand down to help Jack climb to his feet, and the captain accepted it with relief.  
  
Jack gestured towards the door, "The blasted doctor is workin' on 'er." He noticed that James seemed preoccupied, searching the deck with his eyes. "What is it, Commodore?" Jack finally asked him.  
  
The trio exchanged a look. "Ah," James finally said reluctantly, "Did you happen to take Evans with you back to the ship?"  
  
Kohl-lined eyes narrowed suspiciously. "No," Jack drawled out slowly, "Ye don't-'ave him?"  
  
Gibbs winced uncomfortably and shook his head. "'E picked them locks with a dagger an' left the ropes an' irons in the alleyway."  
  
Jack closed his eyes, his hand going to his forehead to rub at the tension there. "Bloody 'ell," he sighed, "Can it get worse, mates?"  
  
Suddenly the cabin door swung open behind them and all four men started, hands going to their sword hilts. The doctor poked his head out, looking uncomfortable, "I had to stitch the wound, but the bleeding has stopped. That's all I can do for her."  
  
Jack blinked at him and teetered slowly over to where the medic stood. "All ye can do? Well, t'ain't good enough, mate. If she dies, I'll be comin' after ye, savvy? Want to rethink yer answer?"  
  
"Captain Sparrow, that is enough," James called out rather sharply.  
  
Jack dropped his hands and whirled to face Norrington. "On this ship, mate," he drawled carefully, glaring at him, "Ye'll not order me about, 'specially where me crew is concerned, savvy?" Jack switched his attention to Gibbs, quite ignoring the commodore. "Gibbs, get some o'the crew an' search the area an' the ship for any possible hunter stowaways. And if ye not find any sign of 'im, we be settin' off, quite without the good commodore's assistance, aye?"  
  
Gibbs' eyes shifted back and forth for a moment between the commodore and the pirate, locked in a staring contest, but he muttered his agreement and went to find the crew, muttering to himself all the while about bad luck to be having officers on board.  
  
"Jack," Norrington began carefully.  
  
Jack cut him, speaking solely to Will, "If somethin' happens, I'll be in 'ere with 'er."  
  
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"Anamaria."  
  
Ana's eyes fluttered open, feeling the comfortable warmth of the sun on her face. She knew that voice. It was a deep, familiar man's voice. Jack? No, this voice was one that tugged on her memory one that she hadn't heard in years-  
  
Ana blinked twice, her eyes resting on a dark-skinned figure standing a few feet away from her. She realized she was standing in a patch of dense jungle, light streaming down through the canopy while thick green vines hung lazily around her and brilliantly colored butterflies rested on large white flowers. She knew she had never been to this place before, but it was familiar to her, calling on a portion of her subconscious. Her heart called out to the man who had spoken, daring herself to hope. "Papa?" she whispered.  
  
Her father turned around, a smile lighting up his dark-skinned face. His hair was gray but cut short against his head and his face was lined with age and elements, but his eyes shone with vitality. "Binti,*" he said emotionally, crossing to her and standing in directly in front of her within touching distance.  
  
"Papa, am I dead?" she whispered, wanting more than anything to reach out and touch him. The fierce and hardened that she had become faded away, and she was caught up in the positive memories of her childhood.  
  
"No, Ana," he said softly, "The heavens know your mission on earth is not finished. This is more like an in-between place. A middle ground."  
  
"Could I-touch ye?" Ana whispered, her trembling hand rising unconsciously from her side.  
  
Sadly, the man shook his head, his accent becoming more pronounced than she had ever noticed it when he was living. "I am but a guide here, to guide you back to the living world. I am not made of substance, but a mixture of memory and spirit."  
  
Ana bit back tears, suddenly realizing the questions that she had been dying to ask him since the conversation in Charles' apartment. "Papa, why didn't ye tell me about ye bein' the chief's son? Is what Adler said even true?"  
  
Her father appeared uncomfortable, visibly diminishing in stature, and he sighed tiredly. "It was not important," he admitted, "I never imagined that my past would come back like this to haunt you. It is true, what he says. But you must promise me something"  
  
"What must I do?" she asked slowly. She swallowed, feeling the weight of her father's words pressing down upon her. Her heart cried out for Jack, crying to take her away, back to the past before their lives had grown cluttered and complicated.  
  
"You must help my people," he told her.  
  
Ana squeezed her eyes closed, trying fiercely not to scream with the sheer unfairness of it all. Why her? She was finally happy, and now this had come back, threatening her life, Jack's life, and their new fragile relationship. "I promise," she barely whispered finally.  
  
"Ana, look at me."  
  
Anamaria slowly raised her eyes to meet her father's solemn brown ones, the same shade as her own. "You have been given a second chance. You have an opportunity to make yourself and someone else very happy. Life without love is not life at all."  
  
"Jack," Ana murmured.  
  
"Yes," her father answered. "He is waiting for you, Ana. Let go of the past. He is a good man."  
  
Ana gazed at her father, feeling small and vulnerable to the powers. She swallowed hard, knowing that once she left this place she would not be able to see the man that she loved so dearly and had missed for so many years. In a way, she suddenly realized, she had found a piece of her father mirrored in Jack Sparrow. Honorable, stubborn, caring, good men, they both were. "Nakupenda" she told him softly in one of the few phrases he had taught her in his native tongue. I love you.  
  
"Nakupenda, daughter," he told her mournfully, raising his hand to gently touch her cheek as if he could not help it. Ana felt the coolness of a breeze graze her cheek and her eyes welled up with tears that she could not feel his touch.  
  
"Now, go," he told her, "Go and be happy."  
  
Ana closed her eyes and felt her body fill with warmth as the sunbeams filled her and carry her soul back into consciousness.  
  
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* Swahilli word meaning daughter  
  
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AN: Well, I was going to have the next chapter be the last one----but Evans just won't go quietly! *sighs* Goshdarn oc's, always wanting the spotlight. So of course he has to be taken care of before this thing can end------  
  
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J.L. Dexter: *looks embarrassed* no no, I wasn't trying to imply that you haven't been fully stupendous in your reviews, only that you were the only wonderful person to be honest (which I completely appreciate) and I knew that chapter might be a little confusing. Merci bien.  
  
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Ps- I love my reviewers, keep it up oh please, you guys are amazing.  
  
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	21. Aboard the Pearl

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Chapter 21: Aboard the Pearl  
  
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Watching Captain Sparrow's retreating back disappear into his cabin and slam the door, James heaved a sigh. He heard someone calling his name, and watched one of his soldiers, Mullroy, struggle with Charles Adler. James had all but forgotten the aristocrat after Gibbs had shoved him into the soldier's arms upon boarding the ship to search for his captain. "Aye?" he called to Mullroy, showing that he was paying attention.  
  
"What do I do with 'im, sir?" Mullroy called out, his face showing his frustration with his captive.  
  
Adler visibly bristled, opening his mouth to say pompously, "I am not just a 'him', I am Lord Charles Adler and I demand that I be released at once. It's preposterous, I say."  
  
James rolled his eyes and made his way over to the pair. "Mister Mullroy, kindly take this man to the medic and get his shoulder bandaged, then lock him in my cabin clad in irons."  
  
Mullroy led Adler r towards the gangway leading to the Dauntless. Adler began to mumble to himself, inaudible to the soldier, his eyes glinting in the darkness. "That bitch, gonna make her pay, gonna get my gold, gonna get her back-"  
  
Mullroy showed Adler politely into the cabin, untying his hands carefully and locking on a pair of spare irons. He pocketed the key and turned jauntily to close the door before going to find the medic.  
  
Adler looked around the impeccably neat cabin. He strode over to the desk, noticing an open drawer. He peeked in and saw a closed pocketknife nestled inside a collection of maps. Standing so his back was to the desk, he carefully and tediously reached inside and with his bound hands picked it up and slipped it into his back pocket.  
  
The door swung open, and Adler straightened up. An older, stooped, grey- haired man wearing small spectacles on his nose and carrying a medical bad entered the room. "Doctor Jenkins?" Adler questioned suddenly, struck by recognition.  
  
The medic met his eyes with a surprised smile, "Lord Adler. Always a pleasure to see you, sir."  
  
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James Norrington sighed after the prisoner and the soldier. He tipped his head back against the night air and grasped the railing. He looked up at the tiny stars still twinkling and offered a prayer of thanks for the pirate woman's safe return. Of course she'd pull through; she was a strong woman after all, James reassured himself. He realized that he also had no perception of what time it was and frankly that it made no difference. James decided to see how his men aboard the Dauntless were faring, knowing he was of no use aboard this ship, but still he lingered a little longer.  
  
"Amazin', ain't it?"  
  
James swung around at the sound of a feminine voice and saw Eve standing beside him, equally enraptured with the stars. "I beg your pardon?"  
  
"It's amazin'," she repeated, leaning on the railing beside him, "That there's so much up there and we're so small."  
  
James regarded her thoughtfully, never really having thought about it himself. They were on earth to do a duty and if they did it right, God would be merciful in granting life. He had never considered life fragile or precious. . . until now. What they had done to rescue Anamaria and then people that had been harmed or killed in the process began to sink in. "Now that you mention it, yes, it is," he remarked.  
  
"Terrifying, too," she added, shaking her head with a little ironic. She caught his eyes and they smiled shyly at each other.  
  
"Thank you for your assistance tonight, miss," James finally said, the simple smile and look they had exchanged stirring something that confused him and he felt his military discipline kicking back into place.  
  
"Please, Commodore, how many times must I tell ye that I'm no lady? Just Eve," Eve asked wryly.  
  
"Too many," James replied, "But then I must insist that I be called James."  
  
"Agreed," Eve smiled. She cocked her head as she heard the creaking of boards below them on the dock. She saw could see no person there as the ship below her obscured her view, but as she stared, she saw a dark-stained trail leading towards the ship.  
  
She touched James' arm and motioned down there. He squinted at it, and then his eyes widened in surprise, "Eve, get yourself aboard the Dauntless. You'll be safe there. That's an order."  
  
At the stubborn look she shot him, James softened, touching her shoulder gently. "Please, do this."  
  
Eve sighed, seeing the concerned look in his eyes that was masked in steel. She would not win this one. She picked up her cumbersome skirts and boarded the Dauntless, searching for the only person she vaguely knew there, Elizabeth Swann.  
  
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Jack carefully sank down on the edge of his bunk, currently containing the ship's most precious plunder, Anamaria Santagio. He relieved her of her boots and noticed with a flash of anger that the damn doctor had taken off her camisole as well. Vowing to exchange words later with the man, Jack opened messy dresser and pulled out an oversized shirt of his that had once served as a nightshirt, knowing it would likely reach her knees. He cautiously raised her shoulders up to slip it over her head and over her waist, and then unbuttoned and slid off her pants. There was nothing sexual about undressing her, despite that Jack knew she was a beautiful woman and the exposed skin did nothing to discourage those thoughts.  
  
He removed his boots and shed his coat and weapons. He considered her for a long moment before throwing his caution to the sea breezes and lying down beside her, his sore limbs aching for rest and heart aching for solace. He laid his head a little below the pillow and slid his arm under the pillow so it was under her neck as well. He splayed his arm around her waist, positioning his face so he could watch her, faces inches apart.  
  
Jack heaved a deep sigh and traced a little circle over her hip, "I'm not goin' anywhere, Ana," he drawled in a low whisper. Despite his desire to stay awake and watch her, he yawned sleepily and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
Anamaria drifted back into consciousness, the warmth that had filled her in her jungle fading to take refuge in certain areas of her body. She was aware of a dim light and that she was on a cushioned surface with something soft beneath her head. Ana blinked, her eyes becoming accustomed to the light, and she felt something warm and solid resting against her side. Her eyes widened and she froze, trying desperately to remember what had happened before she lost consciousness. The thing beside her let out a little sigh and snorted and Ana relaxed, glancing to the side and knowing she'd come face to face with Jack Sparrow, fast asleep.  
  
A small smile tugged at the corners of Anamaria's face, and she raised the arm that was not held captive by Jack and was disgusted to see that it was shaking. Ana touched it to her jaw and came away wincing, the rubbed portion stinging to the touch. She slid her hand down her side that felt stiff and painful, and her fingers came in contact with a large bandage along her ribs. She frowned.  
  
Abandoning that pursuit, she rolled her head to the side and considered the man curled up beside her. Her experiences in the subconscious had softened her feelings and she was filled with a feeling of vulnerability, hating it. Ana suddenly wanted him awake and reached over to rub his arm. Jack jerked, muttered something unintelligible, and clutched her up against him, the arm under her neck that she hadn't known was there making a nice new pillow for her head. Ana found herself in the new position, her front to his front, and she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Jack," she whispered, trying out her voice. It was scratchy and hoarse and her throat cried out for water.  
  
Jack startled awake, his eyes opening to narrow fiercely against the intruder. He reached for his sword that wasn't there and sat straight up. He clutched his sore middle and winced, surveying the room at his eye level. A confused look crossed his face as he could see no one and figured he must have dreamt the voice. He dropped back onto the bed, closing his eyes again, realizing that his bed felt lumpier then it usual.  
  
CRACK.  
  
Jack rolled off the bed with a surprised thump as something came sharply in contact with his face. "Ow," he muttered, shaking his head to clear it. His brow creased in a frown and he peeked over the side of the bed to see what monster was up there.  
  
An angry-looking Anamaria was glaring back at him  
  
"Ana!" he exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. He swayed light-headedly as he reached them and he groaned, pressing his hand to his temple, "Did I deserve that, love?"  
  
"Aye!" she told him fiercely, "Ye sat on me!"  
  
"Aye. . . but only a little," Jack countered, perching himself on the edge of the narrow bed and quickly changing the subject. "Yer awake! How are ye feelin'?  
  
"Like I've been sat on," Ana shot back grumpily. "And ye, don't get me started on ye," she warned as Jack relaxed his facial muscles into an innocent and pleading look, "I have half a mind to-to-- Ye almost got yerself killed ye daft fool!"  
  
"As did ye," Jack pointed out the obvious.  
  
Ana huffed and shrugged it off. She decided that she'd had enough with this invalid nonsense and began to haul herself into a sitting position, only to have Jack gently press her down again. "The stitches could come undone, love. Ye gotta rest," he said gruffly.  
  
Ana groaned. This was going to become quite irritating. She squeezed her eyes closed and tried to count to five at least, but enjoying the feeling of Jack's hands still resting on her shoulders, restraining or not. "What about Evans?" she asked patiently. At his silence, she cracked her eyes open to study his face, fear invading her once more as she saw the hesitation in his eyes. "He's free?" she asked tremulously.  
  
"That depends on yer meanin' of 'free', love. . ." Jack said, pressing his hands together in a mock bow, requesting mercy from her wrath.  
  
Ana suppressed the urge to hit him again. Men: they couldn't do anything right. "Adler?" she asked tiredly.  
  
"Got him," Jack said proudly, "'im and 'is warrior brutes. Not to worry, love."  
  
Ana relaxed onto the pillow, her face containing a mixture of relief and barely suppressed fear. Jack reached over and snatched from a small table a flask of water and a cup. He poured a small amount into the cup and moved to let her drink from it. Ana drank gratefully, ignoring the fact that she was supposed to be stronger than this; a pirate didn't need anyone to baby them.  
  
Jack rose and fetched some bread off a tray that the crew kept continuously bringing to his cabin in hopes of making him eat. He broke off a small piece and, eyes lighting up mischievously, tried to feed it to her with his fingers. Ana batted his hand away, squashing his fun, and took the chunk of bread and began to feed herself.  
  
He pouted, sitting back to watch her devour the bread and offered her sips of water when she needed it. She finished it, and although still hungry, knew that she would become sick if she ate too much after not having anything for days.  
  
"Ana," Jack said finally, stirring up his courage and reaching over to take her hand in his. "I was a blasted fool not to see it before, but I gotta tell ye that I-"  
  
"Captain Sparrow, sir!"  
  
Matthew's young voice rang out and the door swung open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. Jack sighed, reminding himself to tell the whelp to work on his timing. "Aye?" he replied, not bothering to rise.  
  
Anamaria looked thunderstruck and she looked as if she would have jumped off the bed and throttled the petrified boy if Jack had not foreseen this and grabbed unhurt forearms. "Jack, lemme blasted go! Do ye know what he did? 'E-"  
  
"Was a good lad and led us right to ye, love." Jack finished for her, his eyes willing her to trust him. Ana frowned, but stopped struggling against him, knowing Jack's judge of character to be sound. "Now," the captain turned to look at the boy, "What is it that ye want?"  
  
"They've f-found blood stains, sir, an' a rope that they think Evans might have used to come aboard the Pearl, Captain Sparrow, sir."  
  
Jack stroked his beard, his expression unchanging. "Is that so?" He stood up suddenly, waving his arms about madly as the idea struck him. "I'm off to catch me a bounty hunter."  
  
Ana frowned at him, moving to rise also. "No, no," Jack turned back to her, hands gesturing for her to stay put. "Please, just stay here, Ana and don't do anything-that ye would normally do, savvy?"  
  
Ana huffed, but sank back down on the bed, knowing she didn't have much of the strength required to do what she wanted to. Jack strapped on his pistol and sword with a flourish, bowed to the sulking pirate woman, and followed the little boy from the room, closing the door and making sure it locked behind them.  
  
She bit her lip and lay turned to lie on her good side and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth still imprinted on the bed from Jack. Ana closed her eyes and tried to do as Jack had told her.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a very faint and yet unmistakable scratching of metal on metal at the door. Ana froze, hoping to have imagined it. It was almost as if someone was trying to pick the lock-  
  
Ana looked around frantically, spotting Jack's dagger lying three feet away on the floor. She leaned over the side of the bed, fingers reaching. Almost there-  
  
There was the definitive click at the door and suddenly it creaked open. With a sudden rush of determination, Ana's fingers seized the small knife, concealing it in her palm. She heaved herself up on the bed, hearing the voice she never wanted to hear again. The voice of Charles Adler.  
  
"Hello Maria."  
  
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AN: Cliffie! *giggles* You know you love it. Next chapter: Charles and our wounded heroine face off, but to what consequence? And Evans, what happened to him? Is he aboard the Pearl? Will Jack and the gang find him before its too late? And how did Charles even get free? All this and more coming up.  
  
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See that button, mes amis? It says review. Much appreciated if you do. Merci bien to all who have & especially J.L. Dexter (*giggles-I think I'll take some of your advice on this one. . . ) Missy Mouse, and Gooselives for reviewing the last chapter.  
  
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	22. To Bleed

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Chapter 22: To Bleed  
  
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"Well, well, well," Jack Sparrow muttered as he squatted down to run his finger through the smudged blood stain on the docks. It wasn't dry yet, which meant that someone bleeding, Evans it seemed, was here. Somewhere. Jack paced off the trail, halting when it halted. He looked up at the Pearl, eyes searching out possible routes. His eyes caught and held on one of the canon hatches, open. He frowned, knowing that to be out of place.  
  
"Mister Gibbs!" the pirate captain barked.  
  
"Aye, Capt'n," Gibbs growled, appearing at his side.  
  
"Where does that there portal lead to, pray tell?" Jack asked him, pointing.  
  
"Methinks down by the brig, sir."  
  
"And where did ye find that rope?" Jack asked patiently.  
  
Gibbs tapped his grizzled face, trying to remember, the contents of his flask long since affecting his memory. "Ahh, it be. . .just there!" Gibbs suddenly remembered, pointing a ragged-nailed finger at a spot just five feet closer to the ship directly below the portal, looking extremely proud of himself.  
  
Jack fought the urge to smack himself on the head and turned on his heel and began to jog towards the ship, mumbling something about daft crewmembers and stringing an easy two and two together. He headed towards the brig, ignoring the uneasy looks those of his crew still awake were shooting at him as he daintily plucked a small hanging lantern from the railing. He descending into the brig, letting an exasperated sigh escape him when he discovered that the leak there hadn't been completely fixed yet.  
  
He drew his sword with a satisfying swish and tried to tiptoe through the damp floor to make as little noise as possible. He heard the whir of an appendage through the air too late, something hard striking him in the side. Jack stumbled, sucking in his breath at the sudden fire that plagued his body as the thing struck his sore half-healed wounds.  
  
He scrambled to his feet, squinting in the darkness to see what it was that had struck him. He caught movement in the corner of his eye and lashed out, his sword tip's arc catching some resistance as it scratched the assailant. Panting, Jack grinned, gold teeth glinting in the blackness and advanced on the fallen man. He heard the stomping of footsteps above him and cursed softly, knowing the blasted British Navy would be storming the place in a matter of minutes. In the dim light of the lantern Jack was holding tightly in one hand, he could make out the bloodied and bruised form of Evans fallen to his hands and knees against small pile of sandbags.  
  
As Jack kicked him in the side, Evans collapsed with a grunt. The knife he held shot out, and Evans noticed sand spilling out of the slash into the puddle of water covering the floorboards. Evans raised himself to his knees, clutching a handful of sand and seawater in his fist. Leering at the unsuspecting pirate captain standing triumphantly over him, the bounty hunter flung the mixture at him.  
  
Jack felt something invade his eyes, stinging them. He dropped the lantern in surprise with a crash as he tried to open and eyes and could not, rubbing at the gritty substance that had invaded them. He felt a knife graze his shirt as he stumbled away, swinging out wildly in wide arcs with his cutlass.  
  
Something sharp and pointed dug into his hand painfully and Jack yelped in surprise, dropping his cutlass. Jack stood frozen as he felt cold and slippery metal come in contact with his throat.  
  
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"I thought ye were locked up," Anamaria asked sharply, painfully sitting up straight and staring at him in confusion. Her heart began to hammer painfully in her chest.  
  
"I did too, darling. That is, until I discovered that the ship's doctor was an old friend of mine. Doctor Jenkins, I'm sure you remember him, Maria," Adler said slowly and smugly, making sure the door was locked behind him.  
  
Ana's eyes widened in horror and her face went dark with rage, "Bastard!" Oh, she remembered the prized Dr. Jenkins who was too high and mighty to spare some medicine to ease Stephan's fever and abate his cries. The prized doctor could have saved her son's life. "I shall scream," she said harshly, seeing the knife in his hand as he stepped closer to her.  
  
"There's no need. . . yet," Charles replied nonchalantly, "Unless you'd like to die, of course."  
  
"Ye need me to receive yer precious payment," Ana sneered.  
  
Charles clucked his tongue in reproving and he took his merry time in answering, going to behind Jack's desk and pouring himself a glass of rum. He tasted it and made a face, but continued to drink it, giving an 'oh, well' look towards the woman on the bed. He swirled the contents of his glass around before continuing, "You see, my dear, I no longer care for something as petty as monetary compensation. There's something that I hold much more dearly to my heart."  
  
Ana stared blankly at him, feeling her hope sink like a canon to Davy Jones Locker.  
  
"Revenge," Charles replied as if it were obvious, his expression twisting into that of one completely corrupted. At that moment, Ana was struck by his resemblance to Barbosa; his greed familiar. "I seem to think we have a little time before we have to do anything, and I'm in no rush if your not. So tell me Maria, how long has it been, five years?"  
  
"Eight," Ana gritted her teeth.  
  
"My, my, how time flies," Charles exclaimed. He settled himself carefully in the chair across from the bed and propped his feet up, "Since there's no hurry, let me tell you what I've been keeping myself busy with."  
  
Sighing, Ana propped herself up against the wall so she could face him, feeling the somewhat comforting presence of her dagger up her sleeve. "Go on, then," she said tiredly.  
  
"Well, after you left I missed you terribly-" he began  
  
Ana snorted and he glared at her, looking offended. "Go on," she said again, "Ye missed me 'orribly, then what?"  
  
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Charles began again, fingering his knife carefully, "I sent out search parties to look for you for over a year and I eventually had to believe you had died. You'll have to tell me, my dear, where you were all that time. Let's see, I acquired another plantation in the Americas and have wonderful workers who adore me- "  
  
Ana rolled her eyes. "Obviously," she muttered under her breath.  
  
Charles was regarding her harshly, still playing with his knife and he deliberately sighed delicately. "All right, Maria, since this is so boring to you, go on, do tell where you've been all this time. Or did you just go straight to being another whore aboard this godforsaken ship."  
  
Ana bristled, "I'm no one's whore, mate."  
  
Charles rolled his eyes delicately, "Please."  
  
"I'm a bloody pirate! No one's whore and haven't been since ye slimy, mangy, repulsive cad t-" Ana yelled, her voice tone going dangerously high.  
  
Charles moved two steps forward two steps and backhanded her, clapping his hand over her mouth. "Be nice, Maria. I don't want to have to hurt you until I'm good and ready. When you've decided to behave, by all means, go on."  
  
Ana's eyes shot fire at him and she squirmed at his touch, finally shaking free but not attempting to shout, seeing more advantages to keep him talking than infuriate the man into making violent reactions. "I've changed quite a lot since ye knew me. Done a lot o' things."  
  
"Well, I'm waiting," Charles said, his eyebrow raised in careless curiosity.  
  
"I bartered a passage off some traders at port and found meself in Barbados. I posed as a boy for a while doin' odd jobs wherever needed. Eventually about two years ago I found myself aboard a merchant ship as a crewmember," she smiled, reminiscing, "And the ship was taken over by none other than Jack Sparrow and his pirates."  
  
"How touching. Is that when you became his whor-I mean, lover?" Charles sneered, slow and lazy to correct himself, his eyes showing that he knew exactly what he meant and it wasn't lover.  
  
Ana snapped back to focus, "No," she snapped, "Jack took me aboard back as a crewmember and I ended up in Tortuga with enough money to buy me own boat and I was in business actin' as a ferry for a while." She shook her head, her memories slamming closed. "Jack came back, stole me boat and sank it, then came lookin' for a crew, and I happened to sign on. The end."  
  
"Touching," Charles wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. Ana rolled her eyes and shot him a distain-filled look. Charles lost all pretense of even sarcasm and suddenly pointed his knife out at her. "Stand up," he snapped, catching her actions and reaching his shallow breaking point.  
  
Anamaria reluctantly stood, though it pained her to do so. She bit her lip, drawing blood as she straightened up, standing before her former master. He flicked up his knife with his uninjured arm, holding it in the hollow of her throat.  
  
"Time to die, Maria."  
  
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Jack squeezed his eyes closed, thinking it to be the end. He never had been a religious man, but now he found himself thinking of whatever was up there and asking to be spared. The whish of steel in the still air caused him to wince, but surprisingly no pain came. Was this what it was like to die? To not even feel the blow? Jack waited for whatever was to come, but was completely unprepared as a familiar voice broke though the silence.  
  
"On your feet,"  
  
Jack peeked his eyes painfully open to see Will Turner there like a hero out a fairytale pointing his sword the kneeling for of Evans. When had Evans gotten to his knees? Jack realized the man had also dropped his knife.  
  
"Will?" Jack blinked, still trying to figure out what the boy was doing here.  
  
"Jack," Will acknowledged, drawing his other sword and handing it to Jack without looking at him, keeping his other blade steady at Evans' chest.  
  
Jack came to an immediate decision, grasping the sword handle with one hand and wiping his stinging eyes with the other. He could make out the two blurry forms around him as he felt the water pouring from his eyes wash away some of the grit. "Will, I thank ye m'boy, but now ye must leave us."  
  
"But Jack--?" Will began to ask, sounding both like Jack passionately brave and he was daft both at once.  
  
"Firstly," Jack said, swinging around to face him, "It's Captain Jack, savvy? And secondly. . ." Jack frowned, losing his train of thought while Will looked on in bewilderment. He suddenly remembered, with a triumphant grin, "Ah yes, secondly, ye will leave us be to finish this for good."  
  
His new tone left no room for argument, and Will, frowning, carefully ascended the stairs, looking back cautiously several times.  
  
Evans climbed to his feet and seized Jack's sword on the ground. The two began to fight, Evans attacking and Jack parrying back. Then Jack attacked, propelled by revenge and a sense of duty. He forced the hunter back into a cell, and in the narrow confines of the metal enclosures, the swords several times hit the bars, making an unpleasantly loud ringing sound.  
  
Evans swung out wildly, catching Jack's white sash in the process, neatly tearing it in two. Jack felt no cut of the sword and paused, looking at the two pieces of the sacrificed sash mournfully. "That was me favorite one, mate," he said with a sigh.  
  
With an enraged yell, Evans leapt at him again, and Jack jumped on top of the bench to avoid his wild swipes. Jack lashed out with his foot and got Evans in his sword hand. Evans hissed but did not drop his sword. Jack stepped forward to attack from his height atop the bench, but in the darkness he misjudged it and lost his footing, falling to the wet floor, his sword falling just out of reach.  
  
"Truce, mate?" Jack asked agreeably, panting and slouched against the bench.  
  
Evans bared his teeth and lashed out for the final swipe. Jack, faster than it should have been humanly possibly, drew his boot knife and plunged it into the man's stomach.  
  
The bounty hunter choked, gaping at the blade and handle protruding from his abdomen. Jack clambered to his feet, using the bench as support to sit on it.  
  
Evans gave a horrible cry, the life spilling from him. In his last rush of dying strength, he charged at Jack, who hoisted his booted foot to ward off the sudden attack. Jack's boot slammed the blade farther into Evans, who stumbled backwards, falling to his knees in the dirty water of the Pearl's bring. Jack looked into the dying man's glazed eyes and shook his head, saying clearly only one phrase.  
  
"That was for Ana."  
  
"Jack!" James Norrington's voice rang out from above.  
  
"Aye?" Jack asked tiredly, pulling himself to his feet.  
  
James came barreling down the stairs and stopped on the landing, stopping only to say breathlessly, "Adler has escaped!"  
  
Jack grabbed his fallen sword, kicking Evans' body out of the way. As he hurridly climbed the stairs, one phrase that Gibbs often used seemed most appropriate. "Mary, mother o' God," Jack breathed bleakly, sprinting as fast as he was able to where he knew Anamaria was.  
  
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"Ana! Ana open the blasted door!"  
  
Anamaria heard Jack's voice yelling frantically from outside the locked door and started, both pairs of eyes in the cabin shooting towards the door handle.  
  
Adler bared his teeth menacingly and Ana saw his knife rise up and begin its arch downward to him. She grabbed his wrist, struggling against his larger from to get it. She shoved him hard on his bandaged shoulder, and he stumbled backwards, doubling over for several seconds.  
  
It was enough time.  
  
Automatically, Ana slipped her dagger out of her sleeve. Charles straightened up with a cry of rage and rushed at her, his knife raised to head level, clutched in white-knuckled fingers.  
  
As he reached her, standing barely a foot from her, the knife began its descent. Anamaria stepped forward, seeing it glinting in the soft cabin light and buried her dagger in his neck.  
  
Charles dropped his weapon with a clatter. The blood poured from his wound, running down his shirt to stain his clothes a bright crimson. Ana stared in horror at him, at what she had done, and somewhere she heard a gunshot go off.  
  
Charles stumbled forwards, collapsing onto her and she, horrified, struggled against his heavy weight as it pushed her backwards.  
  
Jack Sparrow threw down his smoking pistol and pushed open the heavy door, slamming it against the wall. He quickly took in the scene in front of him and rushed to Anamaria's aid, pushing the bloody man off of her. He fell to the floor, landing on his back, and Jack watched as his eyes assumed the empty stare of death.  
  
Behind the pirate captain, the British Royal Navy officers and Black Pearl crew flooded the doorway of the cabin, stopping short at what they saw and gaping.  
  
Ana dropped to her knees beside him, staring blankly at the dead man's fallen body. Jack knelt beside her and slipped his arms around her rigid body. When she didn't respond, uncaring of her wounds or his, Jack drew her onto his lap and pulled her into his chest, breaking her fixed gaze.  
  
Ana drew one long, shuddering sob and buried her head in Jack's shoulder, her hands clutching at his shirt. "Is it over?" she managed to say.  
  
"It's alright now, love," Jack whispered into her hair, his lips fumbling over it to kiss it and form words, "It's over. Ye can finally let go."  
  
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AN: I'll post an epilogue as soon as I can to wrap it all up. Sorry I couldn't have this up last night, had to watch the superbowl (love my PATS!). Merci, my reviewers. You're all amazing.  
  
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	23. The Epilogue

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Chapter 23: The Epilogue  
  
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Elizabeth Swann closed her eyes as she savored the feel of the morning breeze whip comb her hair. She stood on the bow of the Dauntless, anchored beside the Pearl in a small cove that Jack had pointed out and suggested they stopped for the night. The sun was rising over the trees, its yellow light dancing with the wave tops in a frenzied routine. She could hear the faint clanging of swords in the background, knowing without turning that it was James Norrington teaching his new protégée Eve to duel. Elizabeth suspected there was more to the pair than met the eye, often finding them in each other's company, but it was not her place to say.  
  
Elizabeth leaned on her elbows against the rail and let the morning sun kiss her upturned face. It had been five days since the two ships had began their leisurely journey back to Port Royal; seven days since the horror had ended.  
  
The governor's daughter suppressed a shudder, thinking back to that night. She remembered it all in vivid detail; Eve had burst into the galley where Elizabeth was mindlessly playing cards with herself and told her that something was happening aboard the Pearl, that Evans was nearby. After several minutes, unable to stand it anymore, the two girls had rushed topside, staring open-mouthed as they watched in the darkness by the light of small lanterns as Jack Sparrow raced into view, yelled something at the door of his cabin, then shot the lock open and rushed inside.  
  
Then there was silence, and Elizabeth and Eve had held their breath to discover what had taken place. They watched in shock as several British soldiers dragged the lifeless body of Charles Adler from the cabin. As soon as Will and James had come back aboard, they had assaulted the two with questions, anxiously upset because they had not seen hide nor hair of Jack or Ana.  
  
Elizabeth grinned to herself. The pair was fine, obviously. A hardy thing, pirates were. After the fiasco with Dr. Jenkins which ended with the scrawny man in the brig, the crew had found a new doctor in Wittenburg who had re-stitched Ana's side and demanded that both pirates rested for a long time. Elizabeth knew from several instances of commotion aboard the Pearl that the captain and his first mate were getting restless, although both seemed to keep the other in line fairly well and making sure each did a fair share of resting. Truth be told, Elizabeth had not seen them out of the cabin yet.  
  
Strong arms encircled her waist, and Elizabeth muffled her surprised scream as she started. Elizabeth soon realized who it was, and entwined her fingers with his. "Will," she murmured, nestling her head against the crook of his shoulder.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Swann," Will replied in his low whisper, kissing the side of her neck in greeting.  
  
"Elizabeth," she corrected, spinning in his embrace to kiss him on the lips.  
  
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth," Will finally murmured, inhaling deeply the scent of her hair as they embraced fully in the glory of the morning. Over the top of her head, his eye caught on activity on the deck of the Black Pearl. His eyes flickered to the door belonging to Jack's cabin, and he watched with amusement as a dark-haired slim figure slipped out of the door, closing it softly behind her.  
  
Will laughed to himself, bending down again to kiss Elizabeth's forehead. Oh yes, it was a wonderful morning.  
  
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Jack snorted softly, smacking his lips in the transition between slumber and waking. He stretched out his arm blindly to pull Anamaria closer to him. Bloody woman had probably rolled away from him again to get away from his snoring, he thought ruefully through his sleep-induced haze. In the week following their reunion, the two had slept here in his cabin to be close to and keep an eye on the other. They knew the emotions were there, but they were pirates, blast it all. Things were difficult with the crew bursting in like Satan's fire was on their heels every other minute with some remedy or meal or question.  
  
"Ana, love?" he murmured sleepily, not moving his head from the pillow. Not feeling her body anywhere, he patted the surrounding areas on the bed blindly before finally forcing his eyes open. She wasn't there. Jack frowned, a sudden panic overtaking him. 'Good God, not again', were the words that first crossed his mind. He shot up in bed, feeling the discomfort of his half-healed wounds, but a dramatic improvement from a week prior.  
  
Jack snatched the dagger imbedded behind the wood above the bed and laid his palm on the place where she usually laid. He felt some of the sudden tension leave as he realized it was still imprinted with her body warmth. Jack swung his feet over the edge, making his way to the door, spotting her worn hat on a nearby chair. He threw his shirt awkwardly over his head and grabbed the floppy hat, as he swung open the door into the sunlight vowing to give that woman a piece of his mind when he found her.  
  
Jack made his way towards the helm, knowing it to give him the best view of the ship. However, he spotted her several yards down leaning against the railing. Jack paused, carefully placing the dagger on the deck to not make a sound, knowing he wouldn't be needing it. He stayed motionless, the hat dropping to rest against his thigh as he watched her.  
  
She had her chin in her hands and was gazing across at the Dauntless anchored beside the Pearl. Her head was turned so he could see the diagonal planes of her face, her hair drawn back in a loose braid that he knew she had slept in. On the opposite ship, the flash of metal caught his eye, and he followed her stare to where he could determine two figures sparring on the deck. Ah, Norrington and Eve. He might just find himself a girl yet.  
  
Anamaria laughed softly, and Jack's gaze shifted back to her. Her face had not yet regained the color and vigor from prior to the ordeal; from where he stood the pirate captain could see the remaining dark scabs of several scrapes along her jaw and wrists. However, he noted with satisfaction that most of her bruises had faded into nothingness, and her stitches had came been taken out the day before by Elizabeth, a trial which no party involved had any desire to repeat in the near future.  
  
Jack saw her stop chuckling and gently touch her side as if still wary of it, and she shifted her weight to shield her eyes from the sun to continue her observations. At this, Jack suddenly remembered his mission and anger.  
  
"Anamaria!" he hollered, stamping his way over to her, holding up her hat as if it were some kind of punishment.  
  
She jumped in surprise, spinning around to meet his eyes. In seeing his upset expression, she leaned back against the railing nonchalantly, folding her arms. Her eyes danced with unheard laughter. "Oh, aye?" she called back.  
  
"What on God's green earth are ye doin' out 'ere with-without-" Jack fumbled over his words, waving the hat frantically, approaching her, his upset expression mixed with confusion. 'Me,' he almost said outloud, before realizing it pretty much defeated his point. "W-without yer blasted hat?" he finally demanded, squinting at her through smudged eyeliner.  
  
"Me hat?" Ana asked, arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Aye," he replied like it was obvious, shifting from foot to foot, "It be mighty bright out."  
  
Ana sighed patiently, suppressing any comments that were forming on her lips as he placed that hat on her head. She looked up the brim of it into his dark eyes and shook her head. "Yer daft sometimes, Jack."  
  
Jack offered his trademark grin, tugging the brim of the hat down playfully to shield her eyes. "Aye, but it makes ye want me, love," he said slyly.  
  
Ana's hand shot out to connect with his face, her automatic reaction to anything he said of the sort. Jack was expecting it and lightly caught her wrist in his hand. "Temper, temper, love," he crooned, kissing the inside of her healing wrist, holding it steady with her attempts to free herself.  
  
"Sparrow," Ana growled, glaring at him.  
  
"Captain. . ." Jack corrected softly, moving his lips to kiss the back of her hand and each of her knuckles.  
  
"Jack. . ." Ana tried again, feeling her resistance fading. She couldn't do this. Not after all the memories that Adler had stirred up. Not yet. "Don't, Jack. No."  
  
"Captain," Jack murmured again, more slowly, and he stiffly straightened up, releasing her hand. His gaze flickered up to meet hers only for a second, but in that instant Ana saw that she had hurt him. She opened her mouth to take it back, but he beat her to it. "I'll just be goin' to the galley and get me some breakfast," he muttered nonchalantly, turning and swaggering towards the stairs, and she caught him say under his breath something about rum.  
  
Ana stood perfectly still a moment, staring numbly after him, "Jack!" she called after him. He didn't respond, and kept stubbornly at his path, now reaching the open doorway to the stairwell.  
  
Anamaria stomped her foot childishly and tore the hat from her head, her surefire temper and irritation emerging. She stalked after him; now it was her turn to wave that hat furiously through the air.  
  
"Jack Sparrow, I swear to God ye are the most addle-brained, hardheaded daft fool o' a man I've ever met!" she ranted, following his retreating back down the stairs, "Don't ye walk away from me. Not after all that's happened, ye daft, daft man!"  
  
He reached the room that served as the galley, still ignoring her, stopping at a cabinet to rummage through it, his expression unchanging as he pulled out a bottle of rum. Jack pulled outthe cork with his teeth and took a long swig of it as she began to speak again. Snubbing her, he sashayed over to a chair in the corner.  
  
"There ye go, on yer bloody rum again!" Ana railed, his disregard of her comments only increasing the volume and conviction of her voice. She realized vaguely that Gibbs had been sitting in the corner of the galley calmly eating bread and drinking when they had entered. Now the quartermaster had begun to quietly shuffle along the wall towards the stairs, clutching his bottle as if it might save him.  
  
"Do ye think it's gonna help anythin'? Good God, Sparrow, can't ye just stop for one moment bein' so bloody selfish?" Ye don't think I spent all the time we was apart worried out of my brain fer ye? And what are ye doin now, drowning yerself in yer blasted lover rum again." Ana paused, sucking in a long breath. Jack had stopped moving towards the chair, his back still towards her, but he hadn't drunk again.  
  
His silence and motionless seemed to mock her and she crossly flung her hat onto the counter before continuing. It skittered across the surface and knocked over an empty tumbler. Ana screamed in frustration, "Don't ye get it, ye thick-skulled dimwitted man? Don't ye ignore me; I bloody care what happens to ye! Blast it all, I love ye! And ye--"  
  
Jack dropped his rum contained with a thump, and he spun around, his dark eyes searching and immediately locking on hers across the room. Ana gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing what she had blurted out in her rampage but was unable to find the strength to break the eye contact. She felt dangerously close to smacking her head against the nearby table.  
  
Gibbs, who had reached within a yard of the base of the stairs, looking absolutely shocked and terrified to be caught in the crossfire such a discussion, and the pirate turned and sprinted up the steps, as fast as his heavy frame could carry him. Neither Jack nor Ana took any notice of him.  
  
Anamaria spun around, so now it was she who was facing the wall. She crossed her arms protectively across her chest and gaped at herself, cursing herself a thousand times a fool. Pirates didn't love, especially not the infamous Jack Sparrow. She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind screaming that her that she had royally destroyed everything.  
  
Jack stared at her back, unaware of the rum pooling into a puddle at his feet. He took a step towards her, nearly tripping over the bottle that lay forgotten at his feet and had to grab the table edge to steady himself. Jack approached her cautiously, blinking furiously in attempts to grasp her unintentional confession. He halted directly behind her, sliding his hands to gently rest on her elbows.  
  
"Ana, love. . ." he began, trying to sort the words out in his head. "I-"  
  
Ana slammed her elbow into his side, spinning around, her eyes glittering defiantly up at him. "Stop it, Sparrow. I don't need none of yer pity. Just- " She broke off, trying to make her escape up the stairs.  
  
Gasping at having the wind knocked out of his lungs, Jack managed to lunge after her, catching her around her lower waist, still mindful of her healing wound. He lifted her struggling form up and deposited her onto the long sturdy table, his body weight pressing against her to hold her hostage. "Stop," he panted, "Yer gonna hurt yerself. Just hear me out, love. . ." Jack begged softly, his dark eyes willing her to understand.  
  
Sighing in frustration, Ana finally nodded her head in submission. Jack stared down at her, not knowing where to begin. "I certainly wasn't expectin' that over a bit of rum," he quipped. Ana growled up at him, struggling to free one of her legs. "No, no," he amended quickly, blinking innocently, "I didn't mean it-I didn't. . ."  
  
Jack took a long breath while Ana again stopped struggling, rolling her eyes and gazing fixedly at her shoulder.  
  
"I love the Pearl," Jack began cautiously, knowing exactly how she would interpret this. Ana let out a low scream of frustration, and began struggling anew, beginning verbally protesting as well.  
  
Over her struggles, Jack hastily continued, his eyes showing full sincerity as he raised his voice to be sure she heard it, "But she be nothin' without yer presence, love."  
  
Anamaria stopped protesting, a frown creasing her forehead as she stared up at him in puzzlement. She opened her mouth to object, but Jack carefully laid a finger over her lips. "I love the Pearl," he said again, the deep pools of his eyes shining into hers, "But she be mighty jealous, Ana. Because she can tell that what she has can't match my love for ye."  
  
"Wha-what?" Ana's muscles went slack as her brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
Jack lowered his head and propped himself up on his elbows directly over her, their faces inches apart. He busied himself by kissing her hair, forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin.  
  
"I," he managed to say between kisses.  
  
"Love," he kissed her lips tenderly, effectively silencing the pair for several moments  
  
"You," he finished triumphantly, tucking a wild piece of hair that escaped her braid behind her ear.  
  
He pressed his lips against her eyebrow then nuzzled her nose. Only then did he notice that she hadn't responded, and he ceased his actions, staring down at her with a perplexed air, his black-lined eyes widening comically. "Ana?" he finally asked, "Yer not gonna be slappin' me again, are ye?"  
  
Ana laughed finally, her lips curving into a genuine smile, and she felt a huge weight lift from her chest. "Nah," she breathed, slipping her arms to crisscross at the base of his neck. Using it as leverage, she pulled his head down to hers to tenderly and deeply kiss him.  
  
Jack shifted so he could prop himself up on his hips and leave his arms free. Ana felt one of his hands slide along the side of her breast and felt a quick stab of panic. No.  
  
She freed one of her own arms and carefully slid it back upwards to rest over her heart. "Jack," she began softly, trying to figure out how to break this to him and cause a different reaction than before.  
  
Her tone must have given it away, because Jack's eyes met hers immedietly, and through their clear depths she could see no hurt or regret there. Frankly, there was a kind of mild amusement. "I know, love," he told her seriously, thoughtfully tapping the place where she had guided his fingers, "Can't be jumpin' in the waters without bein' ready to swim yet, can we now?"  
  
Ana giggled girlishly at this, her heart swelling with relief and she drew him down for another kiss. While they were occupied, Ana began to hear the increasing volume Will Turner's voice arguing with Gibbs' protesting distinct growl.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
Will's voice bounced down the stairs, eventually reaching Jack's ears as well. Jack raised his head, his eyes conveying his annoyance. "Go away!" he growled loudly, Ana watching him though amused eyes. He swooped down again to capture the pirate woman's lips, and she allowed their tongues to begin a slow deliberate duel.  
  
Anamaria heard Will call out again, saying something about threatening to come down there, and she reluctantly broke the kiss, ignoring Jack's pleading expression as he stared hungrily at her. "Come on," she drawled, pushing him of her and standing. She snatched her hat from the counter, and pulled Jack, who had collapsed onto the table in exasperation, to a standing position and hauled him along with her.  
  
As she bounded up the stairs, pulling the pirate captain along with her, he suddenly let out a loud growl and trapped her against the wall, kissing her soundly again. Ana grinned bashfully up at him, crooking a finger to draw him close again.  
  
As he brushed his lips against hers, she playfully shoved her hat onto his head down over his eyes and took his hand, leading him into the bright Caribbean sunlight. Jack ruefully removed it, letting it fall from his fingertips to the newly scrubbed deck.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and let his chin rest in the crook of her shoulder and surveying the Black Pearl.  
  
It was good to be pirate.  
  
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Finito.  
  
AN: Well, that's it dearies. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Now, I've got some idea involving either a prequel or a sequel (preferably sequel) but it's up to you, the reader, to tell me if I should even bother. Ca dépend à vous, mes amis. It's up to you!  
  
Thank you all, you've been a wonderful audience.  
  
I'd especially love love love to recognize Missy Mouse and J.L. Dexter who have reviewed very faithfully to almost ever chapter (wowsers!).  
  
MissyMouse: *Takes hat off to you* Your reviews always made me smile!  
  
J.L. Dexter: Thanks so much for offering awesome advice and tips and overall incredibly sweet reviews.  
  
Everyone else, thank you everyone who reviewed, you're all super amazing, most of the reason that this story actually got finished and were wonderfully patient with me. If you didn't review but you're read it, thanks a bundle for reading!  
  
Til next time!  
  
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